tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461Mon, 30 Mar 2015 23:17:17 +0000Here is the article that caused all the fussMichael Jackson Published in Postimees 29.06.09Photo of the Estonia's next PM perhaps?There's a monster loose in Tallinnnice try Kadri.http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (A.TURAY)Blogger97125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-4631654640764165005Sat, 24 May 2014 09:04:00 +00002014-05-24T10:04:50.427+01:00<div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ümberpööratult</span></div><div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Avaldatud 24 Mai 2014</span></div><div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abdul Turay</span></div><div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Olen Briti kodanik, kes kandideerib Euroopa Parlamendi valimistel Eestis. Mõned leiavad, et see on põhimõtteliselt vale nii et vaatame seda ümberpööratult. </span></div><div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mis oleks kui eestlane kandideeriks Suurbritannias? Oleks see märkimisväärne? Kas see oleks uudistes? Ma arvan, et oleks. Ma tean, et see oleks nii.</span></div><div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Poola pankur Przemek Skwirczynski, kandideerib kohalikel valimistel Suurbritannia iseseisvusparteis (UK Independence Party). See lugu on meedias laialdaselt kajastatud, kuigi ta kandideerib vaid linnavolikokku. Ta loodab Poola kogukonna toetusele. </span></div><div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lembik Öpik on Suurbritannias hästi tuntud poliitik. Tema nime tuntakse poliitikute seas ilmselt kõige paremini ning ta ei ole isegi hetkel mitte parlamendis. Suur tuntus on osaliselt seotud tema Eesti taustaga. Ebatavaline taust ja ebatavaline nimi. Ebatavalisus müüb. Ta valimisringkond on Walesil. Tema valijad räägivad Walesi keelt, mitte Inglise keelt. Kahjuks ta kaotas oma asukoht värvikas karakteri tottu. </span></div><div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Olen poliitikas olnud vaid lühikest aega ja mõistan skeptilisust aga mis oleks kui pikaajaline Eesti poliitik, nagu näiteks Siim Kallas, kandideeriks Suurbritannias Euroopa Parlamendi valimistel? </span></div><div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kallas kindlasti teab Suurbritannia Peaministrit David Cameroni. Talle antaks ilmselt esimese kandidaadi turvaline koht. Tema valimine oleks garanteeritud. See oleks üle Euroopaline uudis, üle maailmne isegi. Palju suurem kui mina suudaks saavutada. <br /><br /></span></div><div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mõelge sellele. Ühe maa endine Peaminister on nüüd teise maa valitud Euroopa Parlamendi liige. </span></div><div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See oleks rahvusvahelise meedia kõige räägitum uudis. </span></div><div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ma kujutan ette, et kui Kallas seda teha üritaks, saadaks teda laialdane kriitikalaine kodumaal. Kuid teisalt oleks see lihtne viis saada Euroopa Parlamenti. Ma olen päris kindel, et kui mina või keegi nagu mina on sel korral valimistel edukas siis keegi kusagil proovib sedasama teha järgmistel valimistel. </span></div><div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></div><div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ETV debatis 21. mail nõustusid individuaalkandidaadid, et Euroopa Parlamendi liikme panust ei saa hinnata peetud kõnede arvu järgi vaid selle järgi kui tuntud ta on Euroopas.</span></div><div lang="et-EE" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See ei peaks nii olema. Kuulsus ei garanteeri kompetentsust. Kuid nii see hetkel on.</span></div><div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div><div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ma usun, et enamus kandidaate on nii kompetentsed kui ka targad, kuid see ei näi olevat piisav.</span></div><div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Kes iganes osutub valituks, peab end nähtavaks tegema. </span></span></div><div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Oleme hetkel kuristiku serval. Kõik võib lõppeda kohutavalt halvasti. Eesti võib libiseda vaesusesse tänu lähedusele Venemaaga mis peletab investorid eemale. See tooks kaasa noorte lakumise parematele jahimaadele. </span></span></div><div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Hetkel vajame õiget inimest, kes viiks Eesti sõnumi Euroopasse. Eesti on väike riik ja see on oluline maa. </span></span></div><div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">“</span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="et-EE">Keda eurooplased meie kandidaatidest märkaksid?” </span></span></span></span></div><div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Mõtle sellele enne kui annad pühapäeval oma hääle! </span></span></div><div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div><div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><br /><div align="LEFT" lang="et-EE" style="line-height: 0.53cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div>http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2014/05/umberpooratult-avaldatud-24-mai-2014.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (A.TURAY)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-4291945355961081832Thu, 08 May 2014 10:52:00 +00002014-05-24T09:19:06.522+01:00Delfi Answers <div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2014/05/delfi-kusimusi.html" target="_blank">Vastused Eesti Keeles&nbsp;</a></span></div><div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><br /></div><div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1. Why should voters vote for you?</span></b></span></span></span><br /><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> The most important reason people should vote for me is to guarantee Estonia's security.</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Estonia needs friends. Military security must come from NATO, from the USA, my country the UK and even from France. The EU is weak on this.</span></span><br /><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Since I am from the West, there will be a lot of media interest in me. I am already in the international media, the BBC, &nbsp;Al Jazeera, the Economist. If I am elected, I will able to galvanise the media and the general public in the rest of Europe and the World especially the Anglosphere to take an interest in what is happening in Estonia, to support Estonia, and to defend it in a way that other candidates can't.</span></span><br /><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Eventually the issue will move beyond me as an unusual politician, and to the bigger issue of European integration and the European dream.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>2. Name theme(s) which you plan to be active in the European Parliament and the reason for this choice.</b></span></span></span><br /><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The theme that concerns me most is a decent living salary for everybody.</span></span><br /><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I don't just mean the many women who are in low paid jobs, I also want to stick up for the 40 per cent of men who are struggling to get by. It is difficult for men to admit when they are not are successful as they would like to be, or when they are not rewarded for doing difficult jobs, or when they can't find a job.</span></span><br /><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I have been in this situation myself so I know how it feels. I am teacher, so I am an ordinary person. My concern is police officers, prison officers, fireman, teachers, nurses all these people who struggle to get by.</span></span><br /><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We need to raise the minimum wage across Europe because it will have a domino effect raising wages across the board and we need to strengthen ties with Trade Unions in other European countries, because employers will pay low wages if they can get away with it.</span></span><br /><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I will fight against big corporations trying to use EU rules to get round national laws. The Trans-Atlantic Trade Investment Protocol, in its current form, is an example of this. If what is been suggested at the moment goes through, big American corporation will be able to sue entire countries for lost profits. Estonia and other European countries should have a veto on whether they will allow regulation that apply in the US to automatically apply in Estonia.</span></span><br /><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I will fight to make sure that Europe grants money is not spent on fly-by-night foreign businesses coming from outside Estonia who won't stay in the country anyway. Money should be spent on local people and local communities.</span></span><br /><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">But much of my work will be outside of the European Parliament. I will use my position in the international media to spread the message that Estonia is a great country with a great future. A good place to invest, raise a family, study or even retire.</span></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>3. Which subject or area is the European Union dealing with now which in your opinion it shouldn't actually be concerned with.</b></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I think the whole furore over same sex marriage is a giant red herring. There are more important things to worry about, at both a national level and international level.</span></span></div><div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>4. Would you as a Member of the European Parliament support a proposal to freeze temporarily CO2 quotas emissions or raise the value of quota? How would you vote is such a plan would raise electricity prices in Estonia?</b></span></span></span></div><div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Look, if bills go down in Estonia this is always a good outcome. We should think about ordinary people what they can afford to spend. A lot of old people suffer because of high energy bills.</span></span></div><div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /> </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>5. The situation in Ukraine has shown that the European Union can't influence relationships with Russia by applying sanctions. In what way must the European Union deal with Russia.</b></span></span></span></div><div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">As I wrote above it is quite clear that in terms of defence, Estonia should look to NATO and the Anglosphere countries not to Europe. Europe lacks strong leadership, that is its central problem. In the long run I truly believe leadership can come from my own country, Britain, but first there has to be a sea change in the way British people view Europe, That is a difficult task, it will take at least a decade.</span></span><br /><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /> </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">On the question of sanctions it is too early to say that sanctions won't be effective. Sanctions are a slow cure not a quick fix.</span></span><br /><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /> </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I don't thing Russian troops are going to march into Narva, but there is a real danger. That danger is the rest of Europe, and the World, will come to view the entire region as unstable.&nbsp;</span></span><br /><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Estonia will lose investment and ultimately people and slowly and surely come under Russian influence.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">It will be my task to try to stop this from happening by sending out a positive message about Estonia.<br /> </span><br /><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>6. Please forecast how the six places in the European Parliament will be divided between the parties and the solo candidates.</b></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I don't want to make any predictions.<br /> </span></span><span style="color: black;">&nbsp;</span></div>http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2014/05/delfi-answers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (A.TURAY)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-8341722337198700951Thu, 08 May 2014 10:28:00 +00002014-05-08T12:13:12.311+01:00Delfi Kusimused<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2014/05/delfi-answers.html" target="_blank">Answers in English</a></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1. Miks valija just teie poolt peaks hääletama?&nbsp;</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Olulisim, miks inimesed minu poolt peaks hääletama, on garanteerida Eesti turvalisus. Eesti vajab sõpru. Sõjaline kaitse peab tulema NATOlt, USAlt ja minu sünnimaalt Suurbritanniast ning isegi Prantsusmaalt. EL on selles osas nõrk. Kuna olen läänest pärit, tekitab see meedia huvi minu vastu. Välismeedia juba kajastab minu lugu – BBC, Al Jazeera, The Economist.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kui ma osutun valituks, avaneb mul võimalus meediat ära kasutades tekitada huvi Eesti vastu Euroopas ja kogu maailmas, eriti just inglisekeelsetes riikides. See toob Eestile toetuse ja kaitse moel, mida ükski teine kanditaat ei ole suuteline tagama. Lõpuks huvi minu kui tavapoliitiku vastu hääbub ning olulisemaks saab küsimus Euroopa integratsioonist ning Euroopa unistusest.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>&nbsp;2. Nimetage teema(d), millega Euroopa Parlamendis tegeleda kavatsete ja põhjendage valikut.&nbsp;</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Teema, mis mind kõige rohkem muretsema paneb on inimväärne sissetulek kõigile. Ma ei pea silmas mitte ainult neid paljusid naisi, kes teevad vähetasustatud tööd, vaid ka 40% raskustes olevaid mehi. Meestel on raske endale tunnistada, et nad ei ole nii edukad kui sooviksid olla, või kui ei hinnata nende rasket tööd või olukorda, kui nad ei leia tööd. Olen selles olukorras ise olnud ja tean mida see tähendab. Olen õpetaja, tavaline inimene.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp;Mulle teevad muret politseinikud, vangivalvurid, tuletõrjujad, õpetajad ja õed – kõik need inimesed, kes näevad kurja vaeva toime tulemisega. Meil on vaja tõsta miinimumpalka kogu Euroopas, sest see vallandab doominoefekti, tõstes palku igal pool. Meil on vaja tugevdada sidemeid ametiühingutega teistes Euroopa maades, sest tööandjad maksavad madalaid palku nii kaua kuni nad seda teha saavad. Ma astun vastu suurfirmadele, kes kasutavad ära ELi eeskirju, et hiilida kõrvale riigis kehtivatest seadustest. Atlandiülene kaubandus- ja investeerimispartnerluse protokoll on üks näide sellest. Kui praegu välja pakutu peaks läbi minema, võivad suured Ameerika korporatsioonid kaevata kohtusse terved riigid kaotatud kasumi pärast. Eestis ja teistes Euroopa riikides peaks olema vetoõigus, kas nad lubavad määrusi, mis kehtivad USAs, automaatselt rakendada. Ma võitlen selle eest, et Euroopa tagaks, et raha ei kulutataks üheööliblikatest välisfirmadele, kellel ei ole plaani jääda Eestisse. Raha peab kuluma kohalike inimeste peale, kohalike kogukondadele. Suur osa minu tööst kulub ka Europarlamendi välistele asjadele. Ma kasutan ära oma positsiooni välismeedias ning levitan sõnumit Eestist kui suurepärasest maast helge tulevikuga. Heast kohast investeeringuteks, laste kasvatamiseks, õppimiseks ning miks mitte ka pensionipõlve veetmiseks.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp;<b>3. Mis on need teemad või valdkonnad, millega Euroopa Liit praegu küll tegeleb, aga teie hinnangul ei peaks tegelema?</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp;Ma arvan, et kogu furoor samasooliste abielu üle on hiiglaslik ülepaisutatud teema. On palju olulisemaid asju, mille pärast muretseda nii rahvuslikul- kui ka rahvusvahelisel tasandil.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>&nbsp;4. Kas oleksite Euroopa Parlamendi liikmena toetanud ettepanekut külmutada ajutiselt CO2 kvootide enampakkumised, et kvoodi hind kasvaks? Kuidas hääletaksite siis, kui säärane plaan kergitaks Eesti elanike jaoks elektri hinda?</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp;Kuulge, kui arved Eestis alanevad, on see alati hea tulemus. Me peaksime mõtlema sellele, kui palju tavainimesed on suutelised endale lubama. Paljud vanurid ägavad suurte elektriarvete all.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>&nbsp;5. Olukord Ukrainas on näidanud, et Euroopa Liit ei suuda Venemaa suhtes mõjusaid sanktsioone rakendada. Kuidas peaks Euroopa Liit Venemaa suunal tegutsema?&nbsp;</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp;Nagu ma eelnevalt kirjutasin, on selge, et Eesti peab kaitseküsimustes vaatama NATO ja inglise mõjutustega riikide poole, mitte Euroopa suunas. Euroopas puudub tugev juhtimine. Pikemas perspektiivis ma tõsiselt usun, et juhtimine saab tulla minu enda maalt, Suurbritanniast. Kuid esiteks peavad Britid tugevalt muutma oma vaadet Euroopale. See on raske ülesanne, mis kestab vähemalt aastakümne. Sanktsioonide küsimuse koha pealt on liiga vara öelda, et need pole efektiivsed. Sanktsioonid on aeglase toimega, mitte kiire parandus. Ma ei usu, et Vene väed marsivad Narva sisse, kuid oht on reaalne. See oht seisneb selles, et Euroopa ning kogu ülejäänud maailm hakkab seda regiooni pidama ebastabiilseks. Eesti kaotab investeeringud ning lõpuks, aeglaselt kuid kindlameelselt, satuvad inimesed Vene mõjusfääri. Saab minu ülesandeks proovida vältida selle stsenaariumi tõeks saamist, saates välja positiivseid sõnumeid Eestist.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>&nbsp;6. Palun ennustage, kuidas jagunevad erakondade kandidaadid ning üksikkandidaadid Eesti kuue koha vahel Euroopa Parlamendis.&nbsp;</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp;Ma ei taha teha mingeid ennustusi.</span>http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2014/05/delfi-kusimusi.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (A.TURAY)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-4006978949101148309Wed, 07 May 2014 20:44:00 +00002014-05-07T23:27:11.406+01:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Debate on 10 May in Tartu</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Marju Lauristin</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abdul Turay</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Marianne Mikko</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Toomas Alatalu</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your Host is Mihkel Raud&nbsp;</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nLrwnZnZ-Y0/U2qbIl50deI/AAAAAAAAANM/XM5z8HpzYtU/s1600/Atlantis_Marju_MihkelRaud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nLrwnZnZ-Y0/U2qbIl50deI/AAAAAAAAANM/XM5z8HpzYtU/s1600/Atlantis_Marju_MihkelRaud.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><div style="border: none; line-height: 0.26cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 1.27cm; padding: 0cm;"><br /></div><div style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2014/05/debate-on-saturday.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (A.TURAY)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-3135550007589537361Thu, 01 May 2014 21:29:00 +00002014-05-01T22:32:06.381+01:00<div align="LEFT" style="border: none; line-height: 0.58cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="border: none; line-height: 0.58cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: bold; line-height: 30px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">USA saadik: “Ma tõesti tahtsin hipi olla”</span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="border: none; line-height: 0.58cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 30px;">Eesti Ekspress 13 märts&nbsp;</span></div><div align="LEFT" style="border: none; line-height: 0.58cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="border: none; line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0.26cm; margin-right: 0.13cm; margin-top: 0.13cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kui Venemaa näitab jälle muskleid, on paras aeg uurida, mis mees on USA suursaadik Eestis ja millised jõud on tema isikut vorminud.<span style="color: black;">&nbsp;</span></span></div><div style="border: none; line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0.26cm; margin-right: 0.13cm; margin-top: 0.13cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eesti jaoks on hea uudis, et 59aastasele, kuid poisilikule USA suursaadikule Jeff Levine’ile “tõesti, tõesti meeldib Eesti”.</span></div><div style="border: none; line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0.26cm; margin-right: 0.13cm; margin-top: 0.13cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Halb uudis militaristidest eestlaste jaoks on, et Levine pole sõdalane. Südames on ta hipi, armastuse ja rahu inimene, “make love not war”- ja “väed Vietnamist välja”-mees.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Olen pisut liiga noor, et olla hipi, aga ma tõesti tahtsin hipi olla,” täpsustab Levine. “1970. aastal olin 15aastane. Punkarit minust ka enam ei saanud. Hipiliikumine oli viimane, mille ma omaks võtsin.”</span></div><div style="border: none; line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0.26cm; margin-right: 0.13cm; margin-top: 0.13cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine on väga meeldiv, avatud ja aus. Intervjuu kestel ei kao naeratus tema huulilt. Temaga rääkides tekib selge pilt, milline ta 1975. aastal võis olla – üsna samasugune nagu praegu, kuigi tal olid ilmselt pikemad juuksed ja võib-olla ka habe.</span></div><div style="border: none; line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0.26cm; margin-right: 0.13cm; margin-top: 0.13cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine on üks neist inimestest, kes justkui ei vananegi. Tema väärtused ja maailmapilt pole muutunud, ta on optimistlik ja pakatab energiast ning tal on põhjalikud teadmised tänapäeva popkultuurist.</span></div><div style="border: none; line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0.26cm; margin-right: 0.13cm; margin-top: 0.13cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Esimese põlve ameeriklane</span></span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: none; line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0.26cm; margin-right: 0.13cm; margin-top: 0.13cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ilmselt on tähtsam see, et me meeldime USA suursaadikule ja diplomaatilisele korpusele üldisemalt. Selle sõnumi edastavad nad ka kodumaale. Just sellised mitteametlikud emotsionaalsed kontaktid tsementeerivad tugevaid liite.</span></div><div style="border: none; line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0.26cm; margin-right: 0.13cm; margin-top: 0.13cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Et mõista, miks Levine’ile “tõesti, tõesti meeldib Eesti”, tuleb vaadata tema tausta ja karjääri.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Esiteks, tema etniline taust. Levine kirjeldab end kui esimese põlve ameeriklast. Tehniliselt on ta teise põlve ameeriklane, sest tema ema põgenes USAsse enne sõda Ungarist. Isa on samuti hiljutine immigrant Leedu-Valgevene piirkonnast. Levine jätab täpsustamata, millal see pool tema perest Ameerikasse jõudis. Ema sugulased, kes põgeneda ei jõudnud, langesid natside ohvriks. Levine kasvas üles jidiši- ja ungarikeelses keskkonnas. Tüüpilise teise põlve ameeriklasena on ta võitlev patrioot ning kippus lapsepõlves ja noorukieas oma juuri eitama.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Tahtsin assimileeruda nii palju kui võimalik ja muutuda täielikult ameeriklaseks. Isa poolt oli mul selles osas väga vähe mõju. Mul polnud endal [juurte vastu] huvi, kuni välisministeeriumis töötades tekkis ühel päeval võimalus Ungarisse tööle minna,” ütleb ta.</span></div><div style="border: none; line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0.26cm; margin-right: 0.13cm; margin-top: 0.13cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nagu enamik teise põlve ameeriklastest tunneb temagi kaasa rahvusvähemustele ja toetab rahvuslikku mitmekesisust – see peegeldab ta enda tausta.</span></div><div style="border: none; line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0.26cm; margin-right: 0.13cm; margin-top: 0.13cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine sündis New Jerseys, kuid kasvas üles San Franciscos 60ndatel ja 70ndatel, mil see muutus vastandkultuuri keskuseks. Ta mäletab oma esimest armastuse suve.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Seal üles kasvades ma ei mõistnud, kui erilise kohaga on tegu: ülimalt kaunis, tolerantne ja loominguline. Alles sealt lahkudes sain aru, et ülejäänud maailm ja USA ei ole täpselt samasugune,” ütleb Levine.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Kui vaadata, kus said alguse hipide, naisõiguslaste, geide liikumised, siis need algasid või muutusid tugevaks just selles piirkonnas. Kõik sõltub sellest, kui tolerantsed ja avatud meelega on inimesed. See tõmbas ja tõmbab ligi tohutult ajupotentsiaali. See on tehnikatööstuse keskus. Käin seal ikka veel igal aastal.”</span><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Peruu plahvatused ja Lahesõda</span></span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Arvatakse, et diplomaadid elavad mugavat ja mõnusat elu, naudivad luksust, söövad kallites kohtades ning kohtuvad kuulsate ja ilusate inimestega. Kõik tahavad neile meeldida.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine töötas 1980. aastail Peruus, kui Sendero Luminoso maoistlikud fanaatikud üritasid iga hinna eest teda ja kõiki ülejäänud kodanlasi õhku lasta.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Ükskord toimusid plahvatused kohas, kus ma nädal aega varem naisega olin käinud, viiel päeval järjest. Pärast kaht aastat sellises keskkonnas sa väsid. Olin rahul, et sain sealt tulema.”</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Esimese Lahesõja ajal oli ta Egiptuses, kus valitses “pingeline olukord”.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tema viimatine lähetuspaik oli Ungari. Peresidemete tõttu oli ta meelsasti valmis sinna minema, kuid pidi ka pettuma.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Ungarlased on kulutanud palju aega minevikku vaatamisele, sest nad kaotasid sõja lõpus tüki oma riigist,” ütleb Levine. “Nad pole päriselt leppinud oma sõjaaegse tegevusega ja arusaamatul põhjusel pole ka suutnud üles ehitada tugevaid demokraatlikke institutsioone ega kehtestada head valitsemistava. Eestlased on üleminekuga palju edukamad, raiskamata liiga palju aega tagasivaatamisele.”</span><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Eesti on väga lahe koht elamiseks</span></span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Niisiis on Eesti Levine’i jaoks meeldiv töökoht. Seda ihkavad kõik diplomaadid. Riik, kus on lihtne hakkama saada. Riik, mis on sarnane tema kodumaaga. Tagatipuks pole siin ka tapmisohtu.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Kultuuri mõttes on Eesti nendest riikidest, kus ma töötanud olen, kõige sarnasem USAga. Seda toetab inglise keele tase. See on väga lahe koht elamiseks.”</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine’ile avaldab erilist muljet Eesti IT-kogukond. “Paljud eestlased veedavad rohkem aega Californias kui mina.”</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eesti pole nii multikultuurne kui California, kuid Levine’i sõnul on ta siin kohanud vähem antisemiitlust.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine on just seda tüüpi inimene, kellel tekivad inimeste ja kohtadega tugevad, elukestvad sidemed. See ei kehti sugugi kõigi diplomaatide kohta, nii nagu see ei kehti kõigi tavainimeste kohta.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Paljud välisteenistuse töötajad ei saa 20 või 30 aasta pärast enam aru, kus või mis on nende kodu,” selgitab Levine. “Mu keskkooliaegne parim sõber on endiselt mu parim sõber ja ta on ka Sacramento Bee arvamuskülje toimetaja. Mu sõbrad välisteenistusest on tõenäoliselt üle maailma ja üle USA laiali.”</span><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Pole oma väljendustes vaba</span></span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine ei kavatsenud diplomaadiks saada. “</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Läksin kolledžisse selge tulevikuplaanita, nagu paljud inimesed. Õppisin humanitaaraineid. Õppejõud ütlesid, et olen päris hea kirjutaja ja seetõttu sattusingi ajakirjandusse.”</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine oli päevalehe USA Today üks esimesi ajakirjanikke.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Tagasi vaadates on see hea kogemus, kuid tegelikult oli seal õudne töötada. Avastasin, et mulle ei meeldi halvad uudised. Kuid selleks, et meedias läbi lüüa, peavad halvad uudised sulle meeldima, nad peavad sind ümbritsema ja sind innustama. See polnud minu jaoks. Paari aasta pärast tahtsin juba midagi muud teha ja kui tekkis võimalus astuda välisteenistusse, oligi aeg küps,” räägib Levine avameelselt ajakirjanduse probleemidest</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine’i kultuuritarbimine peegeldab tema kasvatust.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Esimene plaat, mille ma ostsin, oli Janis Joplin, siis tulid Big Brother and the Holding Company, Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead, Jesse Cohen Young.”</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nüüd kuulab ta ka folk- ja indirokki: The Lumineers, Mumford and Sons, Islandi bänd Of Monsters and Men ja eestimaine Ewert and Two Dragons.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ta loeb moodsat ameerika kirjandust, mainides näiteks Jennifer Egani mittelineaarse narratiiviga rock-and-roll-romaani “A Visit from the Goon Squad”, ja samuti kriminulle.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Endast rääkides on Levine väga siiras. Ilmselgelt on ta teinud välisteenistuses suurepärast karjääri, kuid möönab, et on pidanud seetõttu paljustki loobuma.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Olen enamiku oma täiskasvanupõlvest tundnud, et ma pole oma väljendustes vaba või pole saanud oma seisukohti välja öelda. Seda ei saa teha püstolreporter ja seda ei saa teha ka diplomaat,” tunnistab ta.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Saan aru, kuidas Facebookis paistab välja isegi see, kui ma midagi “laigin”, ja kuidas see võib vale mulje jätta. Isegi siis, kui ütlen, et teen seda eraisikuna, olen Eestis ikkagi ju suursaadikuna. On vähe asju, mida saan eraisikuna teha.”</span><br /><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">&nbsp;Ukraina kriisist: “See on kohutav!”</span></span></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kui tõsiseks ohuks peate Venemaad Eestile?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ukraina situatsiooni valguses on käsitlus muutumas. Aga me ei näe seda ohuna, mis nõuaks täiendavat reaktsiooni lisaks NATO poolt garanteeritule.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mõned ütleksid, et Ukrainas on teistmoodi. Vene rahvas sai alguse Ukrainas.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mida arvate?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Üks valdkondadest, kus oleme Venemaaga filosoofiliselt eriarvamustel, on mõttekäik, et Venemaa võib omada mõjusfääri. Et Venemaa peaks tohtima dikteerida, millised julgeolekugarantiid ja milliseid poliitilised suhted neil võivad olla. Meie arvame, et 21. sajandil on igal rahval õigus endal otsustada, kellega liidus olla, ning see kehtib ka Ukraina kohta.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mida arvate Putini tegevusest Krimmis?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See on kohutav. Minu arvates on venelased tunginud teise riiki sisse. Keegi ei tea täpselt, kuidas see laheneb, kas nende eesmärgiks on territoorium või kaos Ukrainas, kuid 21. sajandil peab olema paremaid mooduseid. Venemaa peab aru saama, et ta ei saa dikteerida oma naabritele, mida need peavad tegema, ei saa kasutada ära fakti, et teistes riikides on vene vähemusi.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Iga kord, kui Venemaa hakkab muskleid näitama, muutuvad inimesed närviliseks.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp;Ka Eestis on väga suur venekeelne vähemus. Mida te veel saate eestlastele kinnitada, peale selle, et USA kaitseb oma liitlasi?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ma ei usu, et saaksin öelda midagi, mida pole veel öeldud. Eesti on NATO liige ja alliansi vundamendiks on artikkel 5, mis ütleb, et kui üht liiget rünnatakse, tulevad teised talle appi.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">USA võtab seda kohustust väga tõsiselt, eriti Eesti puhul, kes on olnud meie väga hea liitlane, panustades nii palju NATO julgeolekusse.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kõike, mida Eesti on teinud, hinnatakse, ja meie pühendumine artikkel 5-le on kindel. Mõistame, et saame vajadusel olla siin suurte jõududega ja jõuame siia kiiresti. Venemaa peaks seda mõistma. Kohustuse olemasolu iseenesest peaks ära hoidma selle elluviimise, kuid see on reaalne.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kas USA väed võiks paigutada Venemaa piiri äärde?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ma ei näe stsenaariumi, mille puhul see oleks lahendus. Urmas Reinsalu tõstatas selle küsimuse ja me hindame Eesti soovi.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kõigil oleks hea meel, kui uksel seisaks sõbralik valvur, kuid arvestades ohu tegelikku tõenäosust ja vajalikke ressursse, ei näe ma, et see võiks niisama juhtuda.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sõjaline sekkumine pole siis päevakorral?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See ei tundu praegu tõenäoline. Ma ei saa kindlalt öelda, et seda ei juhtu, kuid praegu on fookuses diplomaatilised jõupingutused. Ma pole näinud midagi, mis viitaks sellele, et me kaaluks sõjalist sekkumist.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On see liialdus, kui Eesti meedias räägitakse kolmandast maailmasõjast?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ma ei näe seda juhtumas, ükskõik kummalt poolt vaadata.</span></div><div dir="LTR" id="Sektsioon1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="adoceandelfieenoiklwpowb"></a></span><br /></div><div dir="LTR" id="Sektsioon2"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ado-fiAKlTatoxsH.kihBQn7Wcon4rorwt3xk4AAbAhgcwH.67"></a></span><br /></div><div dir="LTR" id="Sektsioon3"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="adoceandelfieenoiklwpowb1"></a></span><br /></div><div dir="LTR" id="Sektsioon4"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="ado-fiAKlTatoxsH.kihBQn7Wcon4rorwt3xk4AAbAhgcwH.671"></a> </span></div><br /><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div>http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2014/05/usa-saadik-ma-toesti-tahtsin-hipi-olla.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (A.TURAY)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-4859583378306009936Thu, 01 May 2014 21:07:00 +00002014-05-01T22:07:56.597+01:00<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I really wanted to be a hippy</span></b></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interview with the US Ambassador Jeffrey Levine.</span></b></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Published Eesti Ekpress 13 March</span></b></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most people believe that for security, Estonia must always look to the United States, not to Europe. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With Russia flexing its muscles again, now would be a good time to look at the U.S. Ambassador, to find out what kind of person he is, and what forces have shaped him.</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The good news, for Estonia, is that Jeff Levine, the boyish, 59 year old US representative, to paraphrase Sally Field's Oscar infamous acceptance speech; " really, really, likes Estonia.""</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The bad news, for hawkish Estonians, is Levine is not a warrior, at heart he is a hippy. Love and peace, man, make love not war, troops out of Vietnam, all of that.</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I am a bit too young to be a hippy, but I really wanted to be," Levine clarifies. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I was 15 in 1970, I was never a punk. Hippy was the last movement I really embraced," he said. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine is a very amiable, open and honest. Through the whole interview he never stops smiling. Talking to him you get a clear sense of what he must have been like in 1975, pretty much like he is now, though he probably had longer hair and maybe a beard. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He is one of those people who doesn't appear to get old. His values and world view haven't changed. He is optimistic and energetic, and he has a sophisticated knowledge of contemporary pop culture. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This interview also contained a surprising twist, .... but we will come to that at the end.</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First we discussed about the pressing issue of the day. (See side bar) What he says is pretty much party line. As you would expect him to say.</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is important the U.S ambassador, and the diplomat corp in general, should like us, and give us the thumbs up to the folk back home, it is these unwritten emotional bonds which are the real glue to strong alliances. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To understand why Levine “really really likes Estonia” you have to look at his background and his career. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB">Firstly there is his ethnic background. Levine described himself as 1</span><sup><span lang="en-GB">st </span></sup><span lang="en-GB">generation American. Technically he is 2</span><sup><span lang="en-GB">nd</span></sup><span lang="en-GB">generation, that is to say his mother fled Hungary before the war and became an American. His father's side is also of recent immigrant from the Lithuanian, Belarus, area. Levine is a little hazy about when this side of the family came to America . Those of his mother's family who didn't escape were killed by the Nazis. He grew up hearing Yiddish and Hungarian but as was typical of 2</span><sup><span lang="en-GB">nd</span></sup><span lang="en-GB">generations he is fiercely patriotic, and tended to reject his roots as a child and adolescence </span></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The focus was to assimilate as much as possible and become full American. On my father's side very little ethnic influence,” he said.</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"(There was) no interest of my own, until I was in the State Department and at one point the opportunity to be the state officer for Hungary came up."</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like most 2nd Generationers, he is also very sympathetic to ethnic minorities and diversity, because this reflects his own background. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB">The same forces that shaped Liz Wahl, </span><span lang="en-GB"><i>The Russia Today</i></span><span lang="en-GB">news anchor, who resigned in a live broadcast last week, also shaped Levine. Wahl is also a 2</span><sup><span lang="en-GB">nd</span></sup><span lang="en-GB">generationer of Hungarian descent. </span></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then there is the place he calls home. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine was born in New Jersey, but he grew up in San Francisco in the 60s and 70s when it became the epicentre of the counter-centre movement. He remembers the first summer of love. It is interesting to listen to him talk about it. Even when he is talking ad hoc it is like a speech; beautiful parallel structures. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Growing up there you don't realise what a unique area it is until you leave. Uniquely beautiful, uniquely tolerant and uniquely creative and all of that. You have got to leave to recognise that the rest of World and the rest of the United States is not exactly like that."</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"If you look at where the Hippy movement, the women's movement and gay liberation movement started, all the social movements started in this area or really took hold in that area."</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"It has a lot to do with how tolerant and open-minded the people are, it attracts and is attracting tremendous brain wealth. It is the centre of the tech industry. I still get back there every year."</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"It is where I want to end up it is, where I have always known I will end up."</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally there is his career in the State Department. People assume being a diplomat is an comfortable and easy life. Diplomats get to live in luxury, eat well, meet famous and beautiful people. Everybody courts their favour. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine was Peru in the 80s when Maoist fanatics the Shining Path tried their damnedest to blow him and all members of the bourgeoisie to smithereens. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"One week, places were my wife and I had been a week earlier were blown up five nights in a row. <br /><br />"After two years of living in that kind of environment it does get to you. I was pleased to be leaving," Levine said. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then he was in Egypt in the first Gulf war.</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"It was a tense environment to be there."</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine, last assignment was Hungary. He was keen to serve because of his family background but there were frustrations.</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Hungarian have had a much more difficult transition, they have spent much more time looking backwards to the territory that they lost at the end of the First World War. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"They have not done a very good job in coming to terms with their activities in the Second World War and for whatever reason, they haven't been able to move to strong democratic institutions and good governance."</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB">"The Estonians have been far more successful in their transition and </span><span lang="en-GB">not spent too much time looking backwards."</span></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So for Levine, Estonia is the cushy number all diplomats look forward to, finally. A country similar to his own in terms of get up and go, language, and institutions. Plus there are no chance of being blown up. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"In terms of culture it is the closest to the United States in any country I have served in and certainly the level of English adds to that. It's a very easy place to live."</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine is particularly impressed with the IT community here.</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"There are a lot of Estonians, who spend more time in California than I do </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He plans to stay in touch with the tech people when he leaves the region.</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span lang="en-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"They are such a fascinating bunch and they are doing so much."</span></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Estonia is not as diverse as California, but Levine says he has encountered less anti-Semitism in Estonia than in any other assignment, he also says something else very interesting, but more of that when we come to the twist. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine is the type of person who forms strong life long emotional ties with people and places. This is not true of all diplomats, as it is not true of all people.</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB">"At</span><span lang="en-GB"><b></b></span><span lang="en-GB">lot of people, in the foreign service after 20 or 30 years really don't have that sense of home any more," he said.</span></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />"My best friend in high school is still my best friend and he is actually the editorial page editor for the Sacramento Bee.</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />“My foreign service friends are likely all over the world and all over the United States."</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine didn't plan to be a diplomat. His background was in journalism, he didn't plan that either. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I went into college like at lot of people not quite sure what I was doing. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />"I was taking a lot of humanities courses, professors commented I was a pretty decent writer that sort of moved me into journalism as a profession." </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He was on the founding staff of USA Today. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Looking back I enjoyed the experience but it really was a terrible place to work. So at the end of two years I was really interested doing something else, so when the opportunity came up to join the foreign service came at the right time.” </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><br /></span><span lang="en-GB">Levin talks candidly about the flaws in the media. </span></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I came to discover about myself that I really don't like bad news and to be highly successful in the media you got to like bad news and be surrounded by in and intrigued by it. It just wasn't me."</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Levine's cultural tastes reflect his upbringing. Mostly he likes rock music. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The first album I ever bought was Janis Joplin, Big Brother and the holy company, Jefferson Airplane was there. The Grateful Dead, Jesse Cohen Young."</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now he listens to folk and indie rock bands, The Lumineers, Mumford and Son, Icelandic band, Of Monsters and Men and our own, Ewert and Two Dragons. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He reads modern American fiction. He mentions "A visit from the goon squad" by Jennifer Egan, a rock and roll book with a non-linear narrative, and mystery novels. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When he is talking about himself, Levin is most candid. Clearly he has had a great career in the foreign service but he admits it has come at a price. <br /><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I felt that for most of my adult life I haven't been free to express myself or express my own opinions. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />“Because you don't get to do it as a street reporter and you don't get to do it as a diplomat. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />"Even now I am aware of what it would look like on even if I like something on Facebook. I am aware of what it could look like if it were skewed, I am still in Estonia as an ambassador, there is very little I can do in a personal capacity.</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"After I have done all this, the ability to speak freely and the ability to comment is something I am looking forward to."</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is at this point the interview took its surprising twist. As a former journalist it turns out the ambassador was just as interested in me as I was in him. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Suddenly I was the one being interviewed. Some of what we discussed I can't write, let's just say he was interested in all sides of the arguments about Ukraine.</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He asked me about how and why I came to Estonia, if I liked it, about my election to Volikogu and about my candidacy for the European Parliament. The US ambassador seemed genuinely excited about the prospect of an visibly different, ex-pat, representing Estonia at an international level. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"It was great to see you here and it was great to see you wanting to be involved, it was great to see you being elected," he said. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“<span lang="en-GB">I was really pleased, it is a testament to the Estonians.”</span></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />"There is not a lot of diversity here compared to the rest of the World. It would be great to have Estonia as a cosmopolitan city that attracted people from all over the World."</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Side Bar</span></b></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The party line </b></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On America commitment to Estonia.</span></b></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"> <span lang="en-GB"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How big a threat do you consider Russia to Estonia?</span></b></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perception are changing with the situation in the Ukraine. We don't see it as the kind of threat that needs addition reaction other than what is guaranteed by NATO.(ed note Since this interview the US has sent troops to Estonia as have other NATO nations) </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some people would said Ukraine is a different case. The Russian nation was founded in Ukraine. What do you think?</span></b></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB">One of the areas of disagreement that we have had with Russia philosophically is this idea that Russia should be allowed to have a sphere of influence. The Russia should be allowed to dictate what kind of security relations they can have, what kind of political relationship they can have. And our position has been that in the 21</span><sup><span lang="en-GB">st</span></sup><span lang="en-GB">century every nation has the right to decide its alliances and this</span><sup><span lang="en-GB"></span></sup><span lang="en-GB">applies in the Ukraine as well.</span></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What do you think of Putin's actions in the Crimea?</span></b></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB">(They are) awful. I think the Russians have invaded another country. Nobody knows exactly how it will be play out, whether they are after territory, after chaos in the Ukraine, but the 21</span><sup><span lang="en-GB">st</span></sup><span lang="en-GB">Century there have to be better ways. And Russia has to understand that it can't dictate to its neighbours and can't use the fact that there are Russian communities in these countries. </span></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whenever Russia starts to flex it muscles people start getting nervous because of the history of the region and because Estonia has a very large Russian-speaking minority. What assurances can you give, beyond what has already been said that America is standing behind its ally?</span></b></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't think there is anything that I can say that hasn't been said already.</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Estonia is a NATO ally and the bedrock of the alliance is Article 5 which says that if one country is attacked all the other countries will come to its aid. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And America takes this commitment very seriously, especially with a country like Estonia that has been such a good ally, has done so much to contribute to the security of the alliance. Everything they have done is appreciated and our commitment to Article 5 is solid, we understand we have the capability to be here large, and be here, fast.</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Russia's understanding of this commitment should prevent it from ever becoming a necessity but it is very real.</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How about placing U.S. Troops at the border?</span></b></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't see a scenario where that would be a solution. (Urmas) Reinsalu raised the issue, we appreciate Estonia's desire to have a U.S. Security presence. Everybody would like a friendly guard at their front door, but given the real threat, plus national resources I can't see it happening in any routine sense. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Military intervention is off the table then?</span></b></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is currently nothing that looks very attractive. I can't say concretely that it can't happen. But right now the focus is on diplomatic efforts. I haven't seen anything that say we are considering military action.</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So when some people in the Estonian press start talking about World War III that is an exaggeration?</span></b></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't see it on the cards, on either side.</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>On the Snowden revelations that America spied on its allies. </b></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>How can America rebuild trust with Europe after spying on them? </b></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Snowden definitely been problematic. President Obama has been so committed to a transparent style of government. Our response for years was we don't comment on intelligence matters and this really changed that dynamic and changes the conversation. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So the President was willing to speak. Just because we are bigger at it or better at it doesn’t change the dynamic, “let's talk about it”, but it is not a public discussion. He has not said we will not use our intelligence assets. We are not going to say that we are going to stop doing, but he did say just because we can do it does it mean we should do it.</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are sharing those changes with the people who need to know. We do understand that this was unsettling to the European public, the American public and national leaders. This generated a discussion everywhere. But there is no evidence, because non exists, that any part of this intelligence was used in an oppressive way. It was really being done in an intelligence sense. It was never done for economic benefit, or industrial espionage. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was done because the intelligence did offer protection especially in the counter terrorism world. That there was a security benefit to the United States. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many other countries have this capability and none of those countries has stepped forward and said we are not going to do it either. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One thing to spy on enemies, another friend?</span></b></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Certainly where it has been most problematic,</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So no reassurance to European allies?</span></b></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a general sense, No. More of an attempt to explain how and what was being done.</span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the Trans Atlantic Trade and Investment Protocol (T-TIP)which the United States is currently driving for.</span></b></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Some people say T-TIP is nothing to do with trade, is about U.S. companies being able to sue national government for lost profits. </b></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The T-TIP is trying to deal with the two large bureaucratic systems, at the core of that is coming to agreement of common standards, we will either harmonise what we require of industry or accept each other certification. </span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB">It </span><span lang="en-GB">says “if is cleared in America we will accept it is Europe, it is cleared in Europe we will accept it in America.” That is hard to do. I don't think it a attempt to take advantage of the other system.</span></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB"><b>So is not about forcing GM foods on countries that don't want them?</b></span><span lang="en-GB"><br /></span><br /></span></div><div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NO. T-TIP is no directed at any one industry or one product, it is just a way to make trade easier. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><br /><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div>http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2014/05/i-really-wanted-to-be-ahippy-interview.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (A.TURAY)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-1614984059008258509Thu, 01 May 2014 20:52:00 +00002014-05-08T12:26:33.549+01:00<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Social Democrats are solid as a rock</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Published<a href="http://arvamus.postimees.ee/2699572/abdul-turay-sotsid-on-kindlad-kui-kalju" target="_blank"> Postimees</a> 17 February 2014</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I raised the issue of Russian language education to a young man I know, he took his glasses off, paused for a second, then he started to rant. He was talking so fast in English I couldn't take it all in.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“If Russians want to live in Estonia they should learn our language and there could be no compromise”<b> </b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was the gist of what he said. I haven't heard anybody shout like that about politics since the 1990s.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Education funding has been in the news a lot lately. But of the three issues, the mergers of schools, the drying up for funding to private schools, and funding to the Russian language Vene Lyceum, it is clearly the third that causes most passion. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So it was that the deputy mayor responsible for education, Mihhail Kõlvart, faced a vote of no confidence in the City council last week. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He was always going to win. The Centre party have an absolute majority, and what they say, goes. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The attempt to impeach him was led by the two right-wing parties IRL and Reform Party. Whereas they seemed firm in their resolve to fight corruption and stand up for Estonian culture and language, my party, the Social Democrats,<span style="color: black;">said one thing one day, and then another a few days later.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just a week before the vote the Social Democrats announced they were not going to join the vote of no confidence. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Within days Riigikogu member, and head of the Tallinn party, Rainer Vakra announced that he was sure that the majority of the faction would support the vote. Then the faction announced that it was for the Russian Lyceum, but against Kõlvart himself. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">It seemed like we were floating in the wind. </span>Well it didn't go down that. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let me tell you what really happened. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I sit in Tallinn city council, two weeks ago we met up with Kõlvart. At that meeting he said decisions on education were political and he would have done things differently. He denied all responsibility for bad actions, but he was careful not to mention the mayor, Edgar Savisaar. The fact this meeting took place and what was said is no secret. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kõlvart then announced a couple of days later to the press, that education was his remit and he, not Savisaar, was responsible for everything. This much you may know. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's what you don't know, two days before the vote, the party met with Kõlvart again.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This time it was not just the city council faction, or the party leadership, the entire active party membership, everybody and anybody who was interested, were there. There were a few well known people at that meeting; three Riigikogu members, but most were just ordinary party members, both ethnic and Russian-speaking Estonians, who were just interested in the issues. They were angry they had been lied to. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We all sat down in a room too small to hold 40 people and drilled Kõlvart for close to an hour.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To be fair to Kõlvart, it was brave of him to show up. I can't imagine Savisaar putting up with such an interrogation. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“How much money was going into the Lyceum precisely?”</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“How many students are there, how many students will there be?” </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“What were the subjects they were studying?” </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Why is the Lyceum outside the school system?” </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Can you prove the money is going for the intended purpose and not for something else?</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“You don't need us, so why are you here?”</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After he left, we discussed the issues for another couple of hours, then we took a vote. Readers will understand social democrat members are not fanatically anti-Russian, but still we draw the line at Kõlvart's shenanigans. It was an an almost unanimous decision. Kõlvart wasn't exactly lying but he was not telling the whole truth. We didn't even believe that the money for the Lyceum was really being used for that purpose. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We voted to support the vote of no confidence. It was in this way, and for these reasons that our faction voted the way it did last Thursday. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was a decision from the bottom up not from the top down. A decision made by ordinary party members and therefore by ordinary Estonians. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were taking a risk making this decision because the Russian press could spin it that the social democrats are against Russians. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whilst the Reform Party ad IRL, would get the glory from Estonian nationalists for taking this action. And it was all kind of pointless. Kõlvart was always going to win in the end.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am even taking a risk writing this article because up until now, I've avoided writing from a party line, even after I got involved in politics myself. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But it was the right decision, a democratic decision, made by a democratic party. It was also a decision made by looking at the evidence and looking at the man behind it. I am pretty sure that Kõlvart did not discuss things with the IRL and Reform party membership.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The IRL have made a huge deal out of fighting the nationalist cause. They even got the central city administrative council (the borough level administrative council that approve planning permissions, school long term planning, etc) to endorse the no confidence vote, contrary to its remit. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But if the IRL really are “keeping an eye on things” where the hell were they!?” </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When it came time to vote, half of the IRL faction were missing. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Either they were angry at Reform for stealing the glory, or it was lack of discipline by the leadership, or just plain apathy. It wouldn't have made any difference to the final vote, but it does show the IRL are not what they seem. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were there, and we voted against Kõlvart for all the right reasons. Social democrats are not floating in the wind, we were steady as a rock, and the rock was the party membership. I know, I was there.</span></div>http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2014/05/social-democrats-are-solid-as-rock.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (A.TURAY)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-145133820229937543Thu, 01 May 2014 20:43:00 +00002014-05-01T21:43:46.905+01:00<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ansip through the eyes of a reporter</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Published Postimees April 1 </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the time you read this, we will have a new Prime Minister. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whilst everybody is speculating about the future, I thought I would reminisce about the past and pay a personal tribute to Andrus Ansip.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is an old saying “All political careers end in failure.” It seems that Ansip has bucked the trend. He wasn't pushed out, nor did he jump, he stepped down gracefully. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have met Andrus Ansip on quite a few occasions, most times he would buy me lunch, we had some good chats together. The first time I met him was he held a meeting with foreign correspondents. At the time I had only been in the country a few months and I was then the editor of The Baltic Times</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were 12 of us. Most of the correspondents were Finns. When Ansip entered, he took in the room. Then he spied me, and he looked a little surprised, he smiled a little.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I guess he was thinking; “Ahoo you are probably not Finnish.” </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">His aide whispered that I was a newspaper editor. Then we got on with the business of the day. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At that time, I had no profile in Estonia of any kind, it wasn't for want of trying. The newspaper I worked for was simply to small an outfit for anybody to notice. I was an unknown, But Ansip was still courteous, polite, and interested in me. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is always like that it is, as a reporter, both here in Estonia and in other countries, I have always found that it is usually the people at the top of their field, whether they are major rock stars, actors, captains of industry, or politicians, who have time for people. It is the wannabes, people who think they are important, who are rude, standoffish, and won't make time to see you.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the coming months and years, Ansip would take time out from his busy schedule meeting World leaders, to just to meet with us reporters and have a chat. Gradually the group got whittled down to just four or five key people. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is important for people to understand, now he has left, this takes dedication. The Prime Minister gets paid the same salary whether he buys us journalist dinner or not. He wanted to add value to his program to advance the nation, Ansip wanted to get Estonia's message out to the international media. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was always an honour and pleasure for all of us, to have dinner with Ansip, and not just for the free meal at a restaurant. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chatham House rules applied. That means you are allowed to quote something you heard, but not allowed to say where you heard it and from whom. But I can say this; on one occasion I said something another reporter didn't like. The reporter began to berate me. I thought it was a reasonable question, and so did Ansip, he basically told the other guy to shut up. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Politicians usually have lines to take which are prepared for them by their press office. A politician will usually have a team of people who have worked out all the questions that might possible be asked, and have memorise their answers. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That why they seem so clever. If you watch interviews with Taavi Roivas you can see him doing this. Even Ansip did this, all politician do. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ansip seemed to have answers to questions, and the facts to back them up without any pre-rehearsal.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quite often the subject on everybody's mind was what had happened that morning. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And because reporters are smart Alexs and the situation was informal, reporters would often come with questions that were totally out of the blue. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In these scenarios Ansip had no time to prepare. Ansip would pause for a second, look like he was not going to answer, then come back with a cogent response with evidence to back up what he was saying </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is a matter of public record, that the man who has headed a party that has become infamous for its corrupt business dealing going back to the 90s wasn't even a businessman whilst he was prime minister. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't know what the situation is now but Ansip wasn't even on the board of any companies and didn't own any companies last time I spoke to him, which was about a year ago. I supposed he lived on his salary and his savings. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am sure he won't mind me saying this but he also had a personal dislike for Edgar Savisaar which went beyond mere dislike of his political platform. Whilst Ansip was in power there could never have been any chance of a Centre-Reform coalition, the two men weren't even talking, though they did shake hands at an American Embassy jamboree two years ago.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It interesting to see Ansip when he was happy. We tend to dehumanise politicians. But they are people like anybody else and they feel pride, disappointment. The difference is if Ansip ws successful at something it wasn't just for himself, it was for the nation.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />People have almost forgotten it now but Ansip's achievement were prodigious. He managed to balance the books, get Estonia into the Eurozone and reduce the nation's credit rating at a time when other countries credit rating was falling. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is true that he had some luck. Latvia got into debt because of the collapse of Parex Bank which led to what another right wing politician called “killing cuts” to the health service. In Estonia all the banks are owned by the Swedes so this didn't happen.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ansip felt it was a personal vindication of his policies and a validation of himself as a national leader when Estonia got into the Eurozone before the other two Baltic nations. He wasn't jumping for joy, Ansip doesn't operate like that, given his taciturn and laconic nature, I haven't seen anybody so pleased about anything. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ansip resigned because he had just had enough. He was just tired of it all. At the time that he announced he would be stepping down, he absolutely didn't have any idea what he was going to do next. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eight years is a long time, being Prime Minister is not the easiest job in the world. Politicians are always the target of abuse, and suspicion. People think all politician are corrupt, power hungry or dishonest, which is a shame if you are the nicest person in the World and you happen to be a politician. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ansip may not be the nicest person in the World, I don't know him that well to comment on that, but assuming that I am not bad judge of character, he is not a bad person. More importantly, he didn't appear to be motivated by money or power. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This may seem a strange article coming form someone who is now in a rival party, obviously I am not satisfied with the level of social justice in Estonia. But if there were no common ground between the Social Democrats and the Reform Party, there would be no coalition.</span></div><br /><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div>http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2014/05/ansip-through-eyes-of-reporter.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (A.TURAY)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-275657023535615591Tue, 29 Apr 2014 23:37:00 +00002014-04-30T00:41:16.539+01:00<div class="field field-name-title field-type-ds field-label-hidden" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 20px;"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><h1 style="color: #333333; font-size: 2.7em; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></h1><h1 style="color: #333333; font-size: 2.7em; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">29.04.2014</span></h1><h4><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Televised debate&nbsp;</span></h4><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><h1 style="color: #333333; font-size: 2.7em; line-height: 1.1em; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The rise of Euroscepticism</span></h1></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-description field-type-text-long field-label-hidden" style="background-color: white; color: #565656; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 20px; text-shadow: white 0px 1px 0px;"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Stream looks at the emergence of anti-EU parties ahead of the European parliamentary elections.</span></div><div class="field-item even"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="field-item even"><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden" style="color: #444444; font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 20px;"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div style="margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is the very idea of the European Union under threat? EU Parliament elections are coming up and, according to opinion polls, the far-right is projected to do well. Right-wing Eurosceptic parties have been on the rise in recent years, but ahead of these elections there are renewed concerns about their impact on the European Union. We look at what may happen if the EU Parliament gets a sizable coalition of far-right Eurosceptics at 1930GMT.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>In this episode of The Stream, we speak with:</strong><br /><br />Paul Oakley&nbsp;<a class="0" href="https://twitter.com/PaulJamesOakley" style="color: #2f76ae; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">@PaulJamesOakley</a><span class="0"></span><br />Member of the European Parliament Candidate for London<br /><a class="0" href="http://www.ukip.org/splash?splash=1" style="color: #2f76ae; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">ukip.org</a><span class="0"></span><br /><br />Abdul Turay&nbsp;<a class="0" href="https://twitter.com/abdul_turay" style="color: #2f76ae; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">@abdul_turay</a><span class="0"></span><br />British politician and journalist, standing for European Parliament in Estonia<br /><a class="0" href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/" style="color: #2f76ae; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">estoniatoday.blogspot.com</a><span class="0"></span><br /><br />Amelia Andersdotter&nbsp;<a class="0" href="https://twitter.com/teirdes" style="color: #2f76ae; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">@teirdes&nbsp;</a><span class="0"></span><br />Member of the European Parliament, representing the Swedish Pirate Party<br /><a class="0" href="https://ameliaandersdotter.eu/" style="color: #2f76ae; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">ameliaandersdotter.eu</a><span class="0"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sakari Puisto<br />Member of European Parliament Candidate for the True Finns Party<br /><a class="0" href="http://sakaripuisto.fi/" style="color: #2f76ae; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">sakaripuisto.fi</a><span class="0"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.&nbsp;</span></strong></div><div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><strong><br /></strong></div></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-storify-content field-type-text-long field-label-hidden" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 20px;"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"></div></div></div></div></div></div>http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2014/04/blog-post.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (A.TURAY)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-1415739155761233062Tue, 29 Apr 2014 23:31:00 +00002014-05-01T22:12:05.851+01:00<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Social Democrats are solid as a rock&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://arvamus.postimees.ee/2747024/abdul-turay-ansipist-reporteri-pilguga" target="_blank">Ansip through the Eyes of a Reporter</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2489132860776669461#editor/target=post;postID=7128882100664193941;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=3;src=postname" target="_blank">Quiet Storm</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About the local Election in October 2013 .</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/08/descendants-of-pirates.html" target="_blank"><br /></a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/08/descendants-of-pirates.html" target="_blank">Descendants of a gang of pirates</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In defence of the British monarchy&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/08/mere-anarchy-published-postimees-july-4.html" target="_blank">Mere Anarchy</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Promoting Estonia's young anarchists.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/06/cut-it-out-by-abdul-turay-whats-up-with.html">Cut it Out&nbsp;</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About immigration. Frankly I am getting tired of the issue.<a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/06/cut-it-out-by-abdul-turay-whats-up-with.html"><br /></a></span><br /><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/03/britainand-referenda-published.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Britain and Referenda</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why Cameron will lose the next election and we will have a government more favourable to Europe and Estonia...</span><br /><br /><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/12/chartists-versus-theworld-published.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chartist versus the World</a><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">It was just perfect timing, I write a book discussing amongst other things, whether Estonian political culture is failing on not, and a month later, some of the country's leading minds, let's call them the chartists, get together and say categorical that failing it IS! ..</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/12/chartists-versus-theworld-published.html">&nbsp;</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-black-president-for-small-white.html">A Black</a><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-black-president-for-small-white.html">&nbsp;President for a Small White Nation II</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An opinion piece. The title is self-explanatory.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About the 2009 local elections in Estonia.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">Four years ago I outraged the nation when I suggested in my first Postimees article what&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">Michelle Obama the president's wife might be thinking if Estonia got into trouble.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">“</span><span style="color: black; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">Ah yes Estonia that small-minded little white nation....to hell with them.”.......</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/11/anintellectual-casino-byabdul-turay.html">Intellectual Casino</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB">Tallinn is the global headquarters for a venerable institution, a giraffe, which for legal purposes we will call Giraffe Forex company. It is all part of the retail&nbsp;</span><span style="color: black;">forex market which in Estonia is controlled by Russian-speaking Estonian who started out in the 90s. They allied with Russian from the mother land in the early 2000s and set up shop here in Tallinn. Giraffe Forex</span><span lang="en-GB">&nbsp;has plush offices down town. It billboards can be seen in advertising hoarding in the city centre. With offices in over 27 country and growing, its ehhh..... tentacles are spreading out across the world.&nbsp;</span>Giraffe Forex remains an excellent way for suckers to lose all their money. Don't take my word for it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-great-migration-by-abdul-turay.html">The Great Migration</a>&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">If you haven't spotted it already, the great Facebook migration means that Estonia has gone from being as leader to follower.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">Whereas five years ago Estonia was ahead of the curve now it is behind it. Instead of inventing stuff that others are using, Estonians are now using stuff invented elsewhere.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-great-migration-by-abdul-turay.html">&nbsp;</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/two-tribes-by-abdul-turay-published.html">Two Tribes</a>&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">The story of Estonians in Britain is an interesting narrative not only on how communities develop but a reflection on Estonia itself. Its shows us that some of the assumptions that we make about modern Estonia are wrong.</span></span><br /><br /><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/10/why-i-write-in-estonia-by-abdul-turay.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why I write in Estonia</a><br /><br /><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/fighting-to-preserve-nations-heritage.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fighting to preserve a Nation's heritage</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp;Lithuania's Jewish community</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More Articles</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/06/meikar-andthe-poster-boy-by-abdulturay.html">On the Meikar Affair</a>&nbsp;A political scandal Involving money laundering</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/05/theinvisible-beautiful-estonian-film.html">The invisible beautiful Estonian film</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/04/austrian-factor-by-abdul-turay.html">The Austrian Factor</a>&nbsp;On Austrian economics</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/03/galojan-will-not-be-coming-home-soon.html">Galojan won't be coming home soon.</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/12/veerpalu-new-linford-christie-by-abdul.html">On Veerpalu</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/11/survival-of-fittest-by-abdul-turay.html">Survival of the fitness</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/10/view-from-london-by-abdul-turay.html">The view from London</a>&nbsp;On the Euro</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/08/white-riots-by-abdul-turay-published-23.html">White Riots</a>&nbsp;More on London Riots</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/08/city-under-siege-first-published.html">City under siege</a>&nbsp;London Riots</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/07/end-of-newspapers-by-abdul-turay.html">The end of Newspapers</a>&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/06/china-rising-by-abdul-turay-here-is.html">China Rising</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/03/why-world-is-silence-about-election-by.html">Why the world is silent about the Estonian election</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/02/playing-around-with-higher-education-by.html">Playing around with higher education</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://poliitika.postimees.ee/?id=383331">Response from Education Minister (ed note: in Estonian, will translate into English when I have time)</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/12/parempoolne-on-oige-right-is-right-by.html">Right is Right ?</a></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/07/room-101-by-abdul-turay-published.html">Room 101</a><i>&nbsp;</i>A comparison between British kids and Estonian kids</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/06/go-west-by-abdul-turay-published.html">Go West</a>&nbsp;<i>Where is Estonia exactly?&nbsp;</i></span><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/06/featured-articles-due-to-newspaper.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Venture Capitalist Allan Martinson view</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp;Follow up story to&nbsp;<b>Go West</b>&nbsp;</span><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/05/featured-articles-due-to-newspaper.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Musician Jaan Tätte view</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp;Follow up story to&nbsp;<b>Go West</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/05/greatest-speech-of-all-time.html">The greatest speech of all time</a>&nbsp;A review of United Estonia a very successful political play held 8 May at Saku Suurhall.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/05/for-europes-sake-stop-tories-published.html">For Europe's sake: Stop the Tories</a>&nbsp;How the British elections will influence Estonia.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/03/tradition-of-libertarianism-by-abdul.html">The libertarian tradition</a>&nbsp;Why Estonian Health care is better than the USA</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/02/brave-new-estonia-by-abdul-turay.html">Brave new Estonia</a>&nbsp;Estonian Independence day</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/01/cancel-debt-by-abdul-turay-published.html">Cancel the debt</a>&nbsp;Haitian crisis</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/12/whos-in-charge-here-by-abdul-turay.html">Who's in charge here</a>&nbsp;How the leader of the opposition in Estonia can bully the PM.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/11/abdul-turay-man-who-annoys-estonians.html">The man who annoys Estonians: Q and A with Priit Pullerits</a>&nbsp;Postimees did this in depth interview.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/11/black-men-estonian-women-truth.html">Black men, Estonian women the truth</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/11/pyrrhic-victory-by-abdul-turay-tallinn.html">Pyrrhic Victory</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/09/sexiest-man-in-estonia-return-of-silent.html">The Sexiest man in Estonia</a>&nbsp;Guess who?</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/09/playboy-cover-girl-and-estonian-foreign.html">The Playboy bunny and foreign policy</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/laar-dilemna.html">Laar's Dilemma</a>&nbsp;About the former PM of Estonia.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/cult-of-youth.html">Cult of Youth</a>&nbsp;Why Estonia is run by kids</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/laar-dilemna.html">Quiet genius who brought East to the West</a>&nbsp;How the Koran came to be published in Estonia.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/bigotry-and-denial.html">Bigotry and denial</a>&nbsp;Race relations in the Baltics in particular Lithuania</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/hard-landing-indeed.html">A hard landing indeed</a>&nbsp;About the economic crisis</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/let-eat-potato-peels.html">Let's eat potato peels</a>&nbsp;and again</span><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div>http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2014/04/social-democrats-are-solid-as-rock.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (A.TURAY)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-2578053875178176947Sun, 27 Oct 2013 13:16:00 +00002013-11-12T21:19:28.314+00:00<br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/10/quiet-storm-by-abdul-turay-published.html" target="_blank">Quiet Storm</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About the elections&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/08/descendants-of-pirates.html" target="_blank"><br /></a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/08/descendants-of-pirates.html" target="_blank">Descendants of a gang of pirates</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In defence of monarchy&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/08/mere-anarchy-published-postimees-july-4.html" target="_blank">Mere Anarchy</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Find out more about Estonia's young anarchists.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/06/cut-it-out-by-abdul-turay-whats-up-with.html">Cut it Out&nbsp;</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About immigration. Frankly I am getting tired of the issue.<a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/06/cut-it-out-by-abdul-turay-whats-up-with.html"><br /></a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/04/thatchers-legacy-to-britain-estonia-and.html">Thatcher's Legacy&nbsp;</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Celebrating Thatcher</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-conservative-solution-by-abdul.html">T</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-conservative-solution-by-abdul.html">he Conservative Solution</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The big issue in Estonia right now is cohabitation rights for same-sex couple. This is an opinion pieces on this subject.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/03/britainand-referenda-published.html">Britain and Referenda</a>&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why Cameron will lose the next election and we will have a government more favourable to Europe and Estonia...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-second-sex-by-abdul-turay-on-issue.html">The Second Sex</a>&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">We are are told that we live in a male dominated society, that men have it easier than women; there are people who make a living by telling us this.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">I think that men have it tough and the situation is getting worse. I believe that feminism., or at least the radical form of it that has come to dominate, is wrong., and the effects of feminism that are causing great harm in my own country and in the rest of the Anglo-sphere are beginning to crop up here&nbsp;</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/12/chartists-versus-theworld-published.html">Chartist versus the World</a></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">It was just perfect timing, I write a book discussing amongst other things, whether Estonian political culture is failing on not, and a month later, some of the country's leading minds, let's call them the chartists, get together and say categorical that failing it IS! ..</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/12/chartists-versus-theworld-published.html">&nbsp;</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-black-president-for-small-white.html">A Black</a><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-black-president-for-small-white.html">&nbsp;President for a Small White Nation II</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An opinion piece. The title is self-explanatory.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About the 2009 local elections in Estonia.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">Four years ago I outraged the nation when I suggested in my first Postimees article what&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">Michelle Obama the president's wife might be thinking if Estonia got into trouble.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">“</span><span style="color: black; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">Ah yes Estonia that small-minded little white nation....to hell with them.”.......</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/11/anintellectual-casino-byabdul-turay.html">Intellectual Casino</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB">Tallinn is the global headquarters for a venerable institution, a giraffe, which for legal purposes we will call Giraffe Forex company. It is all part of the retail&nbsp;</span><span style="color: black;">forex market which in Estonia is controlled by Russian-speaking Estonian who started out in the 90s. They allied with Russian from the mother land in the early 2000s and set up shop here in Tallinn. Giraffe Forex</span><span lang="en-GB">&nbsp;has plush offices down town. It billboards can be seen in advertising hoarding in the city centre. With offices in over 27 country and growing, its ehhh..... tentacles are spreading out across the world.&nbsp;</span>Giraffe Forex remains an excellent way for suckers to lose all their money. Don't take my word for it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-great-migration-by-abdul-turay.html">The Great Migration</a>&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">If you haven't spotted it already, the great Facebook migration means that Estonia has gone from being as leader to follower.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">Whereas five years ago Estonia was ahead of the curve now it is behind it. Instead of inventing stuff that others are using, Estonians are now using stuff invented elsewhere.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-great-migration-by-abdul-turay.html">&nbsp;</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/two-tribes-by-abdul-turay-published.html">Two Tribes</a>&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">The story of Estonians in Britain is an interesting narrative not only on how communities develop but a reflection on Estonia itself. Its shows us that some of the assumptions that we make about modern Estonia are wrong.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More Articles</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/06/meikar-andthe-poster-boy-by-abdulturay.html">On the Meikar Affair</a>&nbsp;A political scandal Involving money laundering</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/05/theinvisible-beautiful-estonian-film.html">The invisible beautiful Estonian film</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/04/austrian-factor-by-abdul-turay.html">The Austrian Factor</a>&nbsp;On Austrian economics</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/03/galojan-will-not-be-coming-home-soon.html">Galojan won't be coming home soon.</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/12/veerpalu-new-linford-christie-by-abdul.html">On Veerpalu</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/11/survival-of-fittest-by-abdul-turay.html">Survival of the fitness</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/10/view-from-london-by-abdul-turay.html">The view from London</a>&nbsp;On the Euro</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/08/white-riots-by-abdul-turay-published-23.html">White Riots</a>&nbsp;More on London Riots</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a 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heritage</a>&nbsp;Lithuania's Jewish community</span><br /><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/10/quiet-storm-about-elections-descendants.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (A.TURAY)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-4326774550487106237Sun, 27 Oct 2013 11:59:00 +00002013-10-29T14:27:33.214+00:00.ee Bubble: Summer Update<a href="http://doteebubble.blogspot.com/2013/06/summer-update.html?spref=bl">.ee Bubble: Summer Update</a>: Checking In Summer in Estonia. Sun is shining, weather is sweet. Many Estonian startups seem to be taking time off to enjoy the weather. ...http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/10/ee-bubble-summer-update.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (A.TURAY)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-7128882100664193941Fri, 25 Oct 2013 22:30:00 +00002014-04-29T22:46:50.867+01:00<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quiet Storm</span></b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Published <a href="http://arvamus.postimees.ee/2568512/abdul-turay-vaikne-torm" target="_blank">Postimees</a> 21 October 2013</span></b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Readers will probably know I stood as a candidate in the recent local election. Let's talk about something you don't know. The other foreign candidates who stood. Hopefully it will help you make sense of some issues in this election.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whatever the outcome of this election, one thing is clear, I will not be the most successful and most talented foreign candidate. That honour falls to Ole Michael Ramussen, a 45 year old sales manager from Denmark.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ramussen is so successful precisely because has caused little impact. The local press have shown no interest in him. Yet he is the de facto leader of the Social Democrats in Saue. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Ramussen </span>was elected as councillor four years ago in Saue district for the Social Democrats. He has been in Estonia for 15 years. Like many foreigners he left Denmark because he didn't fit into there any more. He lived in Germany for a while and then Britain. He has been a visitor and an enthusiast of the Baltic states since the early nineties. He moved to Estonia because of his job as a sales manager and stayed because of a woman. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For Ramussen moving to Estonia, meant moving up in the World.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I moved from a bike to a car and I had a mobile phone the second day I was here, I had the same salary as at home but at that time it made a very big difference because the costs were cheaper,” he said,</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Ramussen, who has </span>been involved in politics since he was a boy, is a liberal. In Denmark he was in the right of centre Venstre Party, the sister party of the Reform Party. In Britain he joined the Liberal Democrats, another sister party. As well as being a sales manager he owns his own business. He has a young family. He has personal friend high up in the Reform Party. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So why on Earth, join the Sotsids? </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Liberalism has different versions and the spectrum is very wide..... I would portray the Reform Party as most extreme, most libertarian among the liberal family in Europe,” he said.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“For me it is quite a shock to join the Social Democrats because the name and the symbolism that was what I was fighting against both in Denmark, in Britain and in Germany, but I have to realised there is no better option. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“For many foreigners, especially from Scandinavia, everything is to the right of what we are used to. So what we consider responsible politics is not represented by parties in Estonia.... many of us turn red, so to say.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I have personal friends in the Reform Party, despite these personal relationships I couldn't bring myself to join the Reform Party. For me it is a new lesson in life, I used to believe that everywhere you are you join the sister party.” </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ramussen was struck by the contrast between the enormous wealth people who shop in Stockmann compared to the treatment wife's grandmother in her retirement home. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“It was a shocking experience, the lack of responsibility towards elderly people in Estonia,” he said. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rasmussen is fluent in Estonian. Though it took him a long time to learn it. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I am a lazy schooler. I came here in 1998, I wasn't fluent until 2006.”</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A less successful candidate was John Slade, his campaign was over before it even started. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Slade became the target of a campaign of vicious abuse that went beyond mere dirty politics into the realm of cyber-bullying.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Typical comments were: <span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>“Wow a new low in Estonian politics.”</i></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><i></i></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>“He is a sponge always looking to take at every opportunity.” </i></span></span></span></div><div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">John Slade, 65, is a retired former army officer, sports coach, and motivational speaker. He came to Estonia in the late 80s as a military attaché, married and settled down. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He would appear to be a good candidate. Slade has been involved in charity work for many years, bringing sports to deprived kids in Kopli and Lasnamae areas. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I want to work with young people. I think there is no pathway for young people to grow up and I think that sport is a development tool and team sports are bonding. There are hundreds of children in Kopli they have no money they like sport, I train them.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Sport for me is for everyone, it is not a privilege, it is a right. They should have the same opportunities as we do in England to do lots of sports.”</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Stick me in the city government, if there is any money available for sport I've got first crack at it.” </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These are noble goals yet he faced fierce hostility</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Firstly, Slade stood for the Centre Party.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He was directly approached by Centre Party chair and former Tallinn's mayor Edgar Savisaar. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A popular myth about Savisaar is that he can't speak English, It is not true he understands English quite well. Savisaar who presents himself as a man aligned to the East, with Russia, with Estonia's past. In reality just as comfortable operating in the West, in English, on the internet. Savisaar public personae is a façade to appeal to Russian-speaking voters.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“He understands every word I say, He also speaks German very well. I have known him for years and years,” Slade, who doesn't speak any Estonian, said. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Slade understands the populist nature of the Centre Party. He once gave a speech at a party conference. Even though the elderly Russian speaking audience didn't understand a word he said in 20 minute he had them clapping a cheering. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Slade is also a liberal but still he was willing to endorse the Centre Party.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“They (the Centre Party) haven't bought me I am more in line with them than the IRL or anyone else. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Secondly, Slade is totally on of step with in his views on Russia and Russian-speakers. Estonian don't realise this, but most foreigners who have lived in Estonia a few years become, how should I put this tactfully, cynical of Russian-speaking people and openly hostile toward Russia itself. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Slade is the opposite.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I have more empathy with Russian culture, Russian honesty. But it's maybe because the people I meet are older. I like that feeling of family Russians have.” </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a couple of weeks of non-stop abuse, Slade quietly dropped out of the race.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then there was my candidacy. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">America's founding fathers thought public office is something that you should be called upon to do, rather than putting yourself forward. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is what happened to me. I was approached. I have had people like Edward Lucas and Marju Lauristin telling me I should stand, years ago. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eerik Niiles Kross called me out of the blue one day, sat me down and tried to persuade me to be his man. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a tempting offer and he offered a better deal than the one I got, but I had to turned him down.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was already in talks with the Sotsids. Like Ramussen I am a liberal. I was a conservative as a youth but I became disillusioned with the British Conservative party because of their Euroscepticism. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like Ramussen it was very difficult and painful for me to accept in Estonia the Sotsid were my best option. I have been against social democracy my whole life. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was reluctant to stand as a candidate because I was not confident with my language ability. I have passed the B1 exam so if I was a Russian-speaker I could apply for Estonian citizen now. I felt it wasn't enough. But Eerik Niiles Kross insisted it was.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Standing was a tremendous risk. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It could intrude into my private life, which as a new dad is something I would like to avoid. I had to deal with a tremendous amount of quite ugly, and racial, abuse, though not as bad as the abuse Slade received. <br /><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It could harm my profession life as a journalist. Some readers may begin question my neutrality.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you look through my columns I have been rather critical of the Sotsid in the past, but I defy anyone to find even one piece I have written where I criticise the IRL or the Reform Party. Even though I didn't join the party, some will always believe everything I write is an SDE viewpoint.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I picked the party that was doing least well in the polls. I had no idea how well I would do. There was no financial incentive. Councillors are only paid a nominal amount, and have to pay for their own campaign materials. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is a lot of risk for very little benefit.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So why do it? </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is it possible people can get past their cynicism and accept the reason I stood, was the reason I said I stood?</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I want a better future for my newborn son. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am not Estonian, but he is, and since he is too young to speak for himself, I have to speak for him. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My own particular concerns are kindergarten places, key to this is making kindergarten teaching worthwhile by giving kindergarten teachers a decent salary. We should work with the private sector to provide more places. It's not going to be easy but I believe with can get enough kindergarten place by 2016. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wanted decent roads that can absorb water rather that big public shelters that are just for show. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wanted local government working with and supporting local residence groups. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wanted the municipal police reformed, not shrunk. I wanted affordable quality day care treatment centres for the elderly. Mostly I wanted an inclusive democracy. All the parties are offering residents the chance to participate in how public money is spent and not just at election times. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I dreamt of Tallinn as a prosperous dynamic city, an international city, not one of mass immigration, a new Hanseatic order, if you like. Getting ex-pats engaged in local politics was part of that process. For these reasons which were the same as the other foreign candidates regardless of their political affiliation, I screwed my courage to the sticking place and ran as a candidate. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It has been a quiet election. A quiet storm. But when people look back on it 10 or 20 years from now they may say, it started then. This was the first tentative beginnings of Tallinn become truly cosmopolitan. </span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div>http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/10/quiet-storm-by-abdul-turay-published.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (A.TURAY)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-5149196937836645133Tue, 20 Aug 2013 20:20:00 +00002014-04-29T22:02:46.767+01:00<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quiet Storm</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About the elections&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/08/descendants-of-pirates.html" target="_blank"><br /></a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/08/descendants-of-pirates.html" target="_blank">Descendants of a gang of pirates</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In defence of monarchy&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/08/mere-anarchy-published-postimees-july-4.html" target="_blank">Mere Anarchy</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Find out more about Estonia's young anarchists.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/06/cut-it-out-by-abdul-turay-whats-up-with.html">Cut it Out&nbsp;</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About immigration. Frankly I am getting tired of the issue.<a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/06/cut-it-out-by-abdul-turay-whats-up-with.html"><br /></a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/04/thatchers-legacy-to-britain-estonia-and.html">Thatcher's Legacy&nbsp;</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Celebrating Thatcher</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-conservative-solution-by-abdul.html">T</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-conservative-solution-by-abdul.html">he Conservative Solution</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The big issue in Estonia tight now is cohabitation rights for same-sex couple. This is an opinion pieces on this subject.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/03/britainand-referenda-published.html">Britain and Referenda</a>&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why Cameron will lose the next election and we will have a government more favourable to Europe and Estonia...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-second-sex-by-abdul-turay-on-issue.html">The Second Sex</a>&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">We are are told that we live in a male dominated society, that men have it easier than women; there are people who make a living by telling us this.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">I think that men have it tough and the situation is getting worse. I believe that feminism., or at least the radical form of it that has come to dominate, is wrong., and the effects of feminism that are causing great harm in my own country and in the rest of the Anglo-sphere are beginning to crop up here&nbsp;</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/12/chartists-versus-theworld-published.html">Chartist versus the World</a></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">It was just perfect timing, I write a book discussing amongst other things, whether Estonian political culture is failing on not, and a month later, some of the country's leading minds, let's call them the chartists, get together and say categorical that failing it IS! ..</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/12/chartists-versus-theworld-published.html">&nbsp;</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-black-president-for-small-white.html">A Black</a><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-black-president-for-small-white.html">&nbsp;President for a Small White Nation II</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An opinion piece. The title is self-explanatory.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About the 2009 local elections in Estonia.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">Four years ago I outraged the nation when I suggested in my first Postimees article what&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">Michelle Obama the president's wife might be thinking if Estonia got into trouble.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">“</span><span style="color: black; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">Ah yes Estonia that small-minded little white nation....to hell with them.”.......</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/11/anintellectual-casino-byabdul-turay.html">Intellectual Casino</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB">Tallinn is the global headquarters for a venerable institution, a giraffe, which for legal purposes we will call Giraffe Forex company. It is all part of the retail&nbsp;</span><span style="color: black;">forex market which in Estonia is controlled by Russian-speaking Estonian who started out in the 90s. They allied with Russian from the mother land in the early 2000s and set up shop here in Tallinn. Giraffe Forex</span><span lang="en-GB">&nbsp;has plush offices down town. It billboards can be seen in advertising hoarding in the city centre. With offices in over 27 country and growing, its ehhh..... tentacles are spreading out across the world.&nbsp;</span>Giraffe Forex remains an excellent way for suckers to lose all their money. Don't take my word for it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-great-migration-by-abdul-turay.html">The Great Migration</a>&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">If you haven't spotted it already, the great Facebook migration means that Estonia has gone from being as leader to follower.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">Whereas five years ago Estonia was ahead of the curve now it is behind it. Instead of inventing stuff that others are using, Estonians are now using stuff invented elsewhere.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-great-migration-by-abdul-turay.html">&nbsp;</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/two-tribes-by-abdul-turay-published.html">Two Tribes</a>&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">The story of Estonians in Britain is an interesting narrative not only on how communities develop but a reflection on Estonia itself. Its shows us that some of the assumptions that we make about modern Estonia are wrong.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More Articles</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/06/meikar-andthe-poster-boy-by-abdulturay.html">On the Meikar Affair</a>&nbsp;A political scandal Involving money laundering</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/05/theinvisible-beautiful-estonian-film.html">The invisible beautiful Estonian film</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/04/austrian-factor-by-abdul-turay.html">The Austrian Factor</a>&nbsp;On Austrian economics</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/03/galojan-will-not-be-coming-home-soon.html">Galojan won't be coming home soon.</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/12/veerpalu-new-linford-christie-by-abdul.html">On Veerpalu</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/11/survival-of-fittest-by-abdul-turay.html">Survival of the fitness</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/10/view-from-london-by-abdul-turay.html">The view from London</a>&nbsp;On the Euro</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/08/white-riots-by-abdul-turay-published-23.html">White Riots</a>&nbsp;More on London Riots</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/08/city-under-siege-first-published.html">City under siege</a>&nbsp;London Riots</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/07/end-of-newspapers-by-abdul-turay.html">The end of Newspapers</a>&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/06/china-rising-by-abdul-turay-here-is.html">China Rising</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/03/why-world-is-silence-about-election-by.html">Why the world is silent about the Estonian election</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/02/playing-around-with-higher-education-by.html">Playing around with higher education</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://poliitika.postimees.ee/?id=383331">Response from Education Minister (ed note: in Estonian, will translate into English when I have time)</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/12/parempoolne-on-oige-right-is-right-by.html">Right is Right ?</a></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/10/why-i-write-in-estonia-by-abdul-turay.html">Why I write in Estonia</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/08/sotsid-arent-freaks-by-abdul-turay.html">Sotsid are not freaks</a>&nbsp;Why are the Social Democrats still failing?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/07/room-101-by-abdul-turay-published.html">Room 101</a><i>&nbsp;</i>A comparison between British kids and Estonian kids</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/06/go-west-by-abdul-turay-published.html">Go West</a>&nbsp;<i>Where is Estonia exactly?&nbsp;</i></span><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/06/featured-articles-due-to-newspaper.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Venture Capitalist Allan Martinson view</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp;Follow up story to <b>Go West</b>&nbsp;</span><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/05/featured-articles-due-to-newspaper.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Musician Jaan Tätte view</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp;Follow up story to <b>Go West</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/05/greatest-speech-of-all-time.html">The greatest speech of all time</a>&nbsp;A review of United Estonia a very successful political play held 8 May at Saku Suurhall.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/05/for-europes-sake-stop-tories-published.html">For Europe's sake: Stop the Tories</a>&nbsp;How the British elections will influence Estonia.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/03/tradition-of-libertarianism-by-abdul.html">The libertarian tradition</a>&nbsp;Why Estonian Health care is better than the USA</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/02/brave-new-estonia-by-abdul-turay.html">Brave new Estonia</a>&nbsp;Estonian Independence day</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/01/cancel-debt-by-abdul-turay-published.html">Cancel the debt</a>&nbsp;Haitian crisis</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/12/whos-in-charge-here-by-abdul-turay.html">Who's in charge here</a>&nbsp;How the leader of the opposition in Estonia can bully the PM.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/11/abdul-turay-man-who-annoys-estonians.html">The man who annoys Estonians: Q and A with Priit Pullerits</a>&nbsp;Postimees did this in depth interview.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/11/black-men-estonian-women-truth.html">Black men, Estonian women the truth</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/11/pyrrhic-victory-by-abdul-turay-tallinn.html">Pyrrhic Victory</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/09/sexiest-man-in-estonia-return-of-silent.html">The Sexiest man in Estonia</a>&nbsp;Guess who?</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/09/playboy-cover-girl-and-estonian-foreign.html">The Playboy bunny and foreign policy</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/laar-dilemna.html">Laar's Dilemma</a>&nbsp;About the former PM of Estonia.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/cult-of-youth.html">Cult of Youth</a>&nbsp;Why Estonia is run by kids</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/laar-dilemna.html">Quiet genius who brought East to the West</a>&nbsp;How the Koran came to be published in Estonia.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/bigotry-and-denial.html">Bigotry and denial</a>&nbsp;Race relations in the Baltics in particular Lithuania</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/hard-landing-indeed.html">A hard landing indeed</a>&nbsp;About the economic crisis</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/let-eat-potato-peels.html">Let's eat potato peels</a>&nbsp;and again</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/fighting-to-preserve-nations-heritage.html">Fighting to preserve a Nation's heritage</a>&nbsp;Lithuania's Jewish community</span><br /><br />http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/08/descendants-of-gang-of-pirates-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (A.TURAY)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-9108016220318867053Tue, 20 Aug 2013 19:22:00 +00002014-05-17T08:17:34.302+01:00<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Descendants of a gang of pirates.</b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Published<a href="http://arvamus.postimees.ee/1322152/abdul-turay-piraadijougu-jarglased"> Postimees</a>&nbsp;5 August &nbsp;2013&nbsp;</b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Monarchy is in the news in Belgium, in Britain it's always in the news. Let's tell it how it is in the Estonian republic.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few hundred years ago, a gang of vicious pirates, led by a power-crazed psychopath, invaded my country.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like the knights of Teutonic Order in this part of the World, they spread destruction before them. They pillaged and raped and slaughtered vast numbers of people leaving much of the country as wasteland and enslaved the survivors. Like the Soviets they killed off anybody who had money or drove them into exile. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For hundreds of years the British Isles, like Estonia was oppressed by the descendants of this band of thugs, who spoke a different language and had different customs. The pirates were known as the Normans. Their leader was known as William the Conqueror.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Estonia you finally got rid of the Baltic Germans, in England we never got rid of the Normans.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like every other ethnic group that has settled Britain before and since, the Normans assimilated and became English. They assimilated so completely that everybody has forgotten how the aristocracy, and the monarchy, got started.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thus when the most recent direct descendant of the power hungry psychopath, the next person to rule us all in about 50 years time, was born, we all stand around cheering for the little prince.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But cheer we should.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a Briton living in Estonia I am aware the monarchy, comes in for criticism. Some in Estonia seem to believe it is antiquated institution. I will explain why we still need the monarchy and why this system works.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Britain's constitutional monarchy, the Queen doesn't have any legislative or judicial power she only has executive power. She does not make laws, she only signs them. Her powers are similar to President Ilves. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Queen does has a veto but since no monarch has used it in two centuries, it has become constitutional precedence that no monarch can use it. It could be argued what is wrong with the monarchy is that it has too little power, the Queen can't stand as a last resort against some outrageous law, as presidents in other countries can do. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Britain; parliament rules. This issue was settled over three centuries ago. Charles I paid for it with his head. The question was finally settled when James II was thrown out of power and out of the country in 1689.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Queen's position is almost like she hired by the parliament to do a job, just like any other head of state. The difference is the monarch is picked from one family, Parliament could fire her if she was making a mess of things. This has happened in the last century, as I will talk about latter.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If we didn't have a queen, we would have to have a president, a respected elder statesperson, &nbsp;somebody to serve as focal point for national identity, someone who sign bills into law,</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">attends functions, opens schools and hospitals, entertain foreign dignitaries.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The Queen does her job superbly. She is the best diplomat on the planet, in 61 years she has never been criticised for anything she has said or any decision she has made, ever.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It been that way for so long people don't even notice it. Cynics will say there is media conspiracy not to criticise her. It just isn't true. The Queen is just that good. Other members of the royal family have been criticised and even vilified. Previous monarchs had a really bad time. George IV was so unpopular he had to wear a disguise when he went about because people would throw rotten food at him. </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The monarch plays a key political role especially times of crisis. When we were losing the Second World in 1940 it became clear that the prime minister Neville Chamberlain had to go. </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The King, George VI, decided to ask for Churchill to become Prime Minister after he took advice from Chamberlain. Many in Churchill's own party were afraid of Churchill, they thought he was a loose canon.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Think about that for a second, One of the most famous statesman of the last century had no mandate to run a country, or fight a war of any kind other than King's endorsement. </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Queen is good PR for the country. Even if you go to a country that has a queen and you say the word “Queen” people know immediately who you mean. Monarchs in other countries are also well known but the president of Germany anybody?</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Our monarch, our Queen, is also good value of money, She is the biggest landowner in the country, but under a system worked out centuries ago she gets no income from her land. Instead the government pays her a salary and pockets the income from the land. Since the income from the royal land is vastly more than her salary, it's a bargain.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">You could say the Queen's power hungry ancestor stole the land in the first place, but for the government to steal it back is just communism, and we all know where that leads.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We all have bosses. Human societies are hierarchical but with a monarchy, you have at least some chance of being ruled by somebody who is not <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">an ****hole.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some people go into politics because of their strong beliefs, some people go into politics because they are approached, this is the way America's founding father thought the system should work, but some people go in politics for power, money or fame. Politics like show business attracts narcissistic personalities, even psychopaths. And since politicians are actors it is always difficult for voters to tell who is genuine</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our monarchy doesn't work like that, George VI, the king who appointed Churchill, was a shy man, afraid of public speaking. If you have seen “the king's speech” you will know he had a stammer. He didn't want to be king, it was his duty to his people. Somebody has to do that job. At a time when the rest of Europe was being ruled by bad men, some of whom were elected, at a time when in democracy had collapsed across the continent, Britain, the last hold out, was ruled by a hereditary head of state, and by an ordinary decent man.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I believe George VI was one of our best kings, because he did a difficult job which was against his nature. He wife believed the stress of being King shortened his life. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prince William is by all accounts a modest man. That's the best thing about him and his wife. Apart from the fact that they are richer and better looking than most of us, they are just ordinary people. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What if we have a bad monarchy, parliament will replace them.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">George VI became king when his brother was forced to abdicate. The official story at the time was he could not marry a divorcee as head of the Church of England and stay king. Prince Charles has married a divorcee and is divorced himself, no-one is saying he shouldn't be king. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The real reason why Edward VIII had to go, as has transpired from declassified US secret service files, was because he was a Nazi sympathiser whose wife allegedly had an affair with Von Ribbentrop. Yes that's right that Von Ribbentrop!</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Parliament acted and Edward VIII abdicated. There are checks and balances in place to make sure that the right person is in the job. It is a difficult job but somebody has to do it.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They may have started out as brutal conquerors but they are all right now, the monarchy is in pretty good shape.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I for one will continue to celebrate descendants of the gang of pirates. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div><br /><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div>http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/08/descendants-of-pirates.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (A.TURAY)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-3489209970228814739Tue, 20 Aug 2013 19:08:00 +00002013-11-12T21:19:04.853+00:00<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Mere Anarchy</b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Published <a href="http://arvamus.postimees.ee/1289864/abdul-turay-koigest-anarhia">Postimees</a>&nbsp; 4 July 2013&nbsp;</b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fed up with reading with all the stuff that has been happening at the centre of Estonian politics, lets take a look at the stuff that is happening on the fringes.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Estonia's young left-wing community, the anarchists had a problem. They couldn't seem to get away from the opposite numbers, the Neo-Nazis and Fascist types. The Neo-Nazis would attacked them in Tartu's bars, in the grim housing estates where some of them lived, in the seaside town of Pärnu and outside gay clubs.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eventually a group of Anarchists got together and came up with the solution. They would set up their own centre. It would be a place to gather, share ideas, hold concerts, do social evenings, have language courses to help to improve relations between Ethnic Estonians and Russian speakers. It would be a place to organise and spread the message of building a civil society and best of all it would be far away from the Neo-Nazis.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They found a place to rent near Kristiine, the Ülase centre. Andres K, a young activist takes up the story: “We signed the contract after a month we did an opening event and we went there to put up posters and the first morning we saw the most famous Neo-Nazi in Tallinn barbecuing across the yard.” </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It turned out that the main focal point for Neo-Nazi activity was in the motor club in the same vicinity. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Worse, there was a Black Metal club in the same hall as the Anarchist centre, which attracted some National Socialists rockers.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Anarchists had no idea they were there, but they refuse to be moved on.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That the far left can exist at all and the ying yang relationship between the two group is an indication of the Westernisation and modernisation of Estonia. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is almost symbiosis between Fascists and Anarchists. There was a Nazi skinhead who turned into a anti-racist skinhead or SHARP, he then reverted to being a Neo-Nazi and tried to arrange the beating of old friends. There are punks who wear anarchist badges and then go drinking with Neo-Nazis.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are more Neo-Nazis than Anarchists, over a 100 can show up for Neo-Nazi rock gigs in Tartu and Tallinn. But strangely the Anarchists are better organised and have therefore gotten more media. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Anarchist centre looks like it should. It is dark, dingy and punk, second hand furniture, stained walls and at odds with the Estonian taste for bourgeois living. There are drawings of Andrus Ansip and Mary Olsen from Little House of the Prairie on the wall, two notorious bullies, they think, one fictitious the other real. There is a boxing bag in the centre of the room. The Anarchists are non-violent but with the Nazis living a stone throw away, many of them have taken up self-defence.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kristina Mering explains the history of the centre.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“It was put together by a group of people who had been active before. And all of the people were part of a squat project. We were thinking we really need a place of our own,” she said.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“We are celebrating our two year birthday. We opened on the 8 May two years ago,”</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As an Anarchist, Mering doesn't like the title leader, but she definitely has a leadership position. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“We make decisions based on censuses, we divide roles based on the skills that people have. Since I am a huge talker I am more in the picture. It doesn't mean I am more important. Among ourselves we know that no-one is more important.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“The purpose of the centre is to attract young people to find out more about left wing beliefs. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“We also have very many non-political events for chess evening. concerts, language groups. There is a necessity for a centre like this. It gives me motivation when I see people coming to events.”</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The far left in Estonia has evolved into a mishmash of beliefs with several different focal points much of it based on identity politics; LTBG activists, animal rights activists and radical feminists. They are mostly Anarchist rather than Communists. Important influences are<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Saul Newman, and Naom Chomsky,</span> It is easier to work out what they are against than what they are for. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They fight capitalism, exploitation of people and animals, sexism and discrimination and most of they are against fascism. Some of them describe themselves as Antifa, a German term that means Antifascist.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mering's own interest is in Animal rights activism.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“ Everybody should find a topic which is really the voice of their heart. In my philosophy all these questions are really important. My roots are in punk, that were I got all these ideas. Most of us have some connection with the punk scene but it is not a must.”</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />The new young Anarchists are completely different to what people think of as Anarchism in Estonia. It is part of a Western pan-European movement. Estonian Punk and Anarchism in 80s was really a reaction to the repressive Soviet regime, it was never a Western movement, it primary focus was Anti-Sovietism. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Andres K doesn't think much ot Trubetsky.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Trubetsky wrote this book which is practically copied and pasted from wikipedia. The media call him father of anarchism but his theoretical knowledge is not that good and he is not really active,” he said.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Estonian Anarchists still have a long way to go. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“The movement is a lot stronger Spain and Greece. It is a dream from every Estonian Anarchist to take their stuff and move to Greece,” Andres K said. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ying Yang</span></b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The far right and the far left always had a kenetic relationship in the West. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The skinhead movement begun in England in the 60s simply as a working class movement. They liked black people and black culture and were the only white kids going to clubs where young Jamaicans immigrants would hang out. Being young and rowdy they would cause trouble. People started to assume they were racist, so anybody who was racist would be a skinhead, and the whole thing snowballed from there. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Don't be surprise to find skinheads at the Anarchist centre.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Estonia today, there all many different types of skinheads; traditional skinhead also known as Trojans or spirit of 68 who hark back to its origins a working class pride movement, there are SHARP skins (Skinhead Heads Against Racist Prejudice) easily recognisable from their black and white clothing, Then there are Nazi skinheads also known as boneheads who other skins say are not real skins. There are even Red skins, communist skinheads, notorious for their violence towards boneheads.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“We have skinheads who claim to be apolitical but they are really left. If a skinhead is about working people's pride then they are welcome,” Mering said. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Neo-Nazis are a dangerous bunch. Whereas Russian-speaking and ethnic Estonian Anarchists get along with each other and co-operate, Russian-speaking and ethnic Estonians skinheads and neo-Nazis hate each other and fight. They carry knives and train in martial arts. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Tallinn &nbsp;they go to the- ironically named- Woodstock bar on a Friday night. It is next to a gay bar.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One activist was almost stabbed one night outside Woodstock, it was all peace and love.One thing saved this person. The fact that she had breasts. She is a lesbian who dresses and acts like a boy.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once the Neo-Nazis realised that they about to stab a girl they put away their fists and their knives away. Even the Neo-Nazis have limits to what they are prepared to do.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mering has been pushed around but she admits a lot of the violence is based on gender. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I'm a woman, they will probably not kick my ass.”</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anarchists and Neo-Nazis are cut from the same cloth. They come from socially deprived backgrounds.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Anarchists often come from broken homes, dysfunctional families, growing up in poverty,” said Andres K.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He is a good example, he grew up in the sprawling estates of Lasnamäe where he still lives. He said he could just as easily have turned into a Nazi. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Because of my low education I don't have any chance to make a career. I didn't finish high school because I was bad at maths. I was 17 when I quit school.” </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I am pretty bad financial place, even a janitor job I can't get,” he said.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Young Anarchists are conviction politicians. They are in involved in activism because they feel &nbsp;they have to do it, not because the enjoy doing it. And they don't get paid to do it. With all the cynicism about corrupt politicians they are the kind of politicians Estonia actually needs. It is a shame their beliefs are too radical for most Estonians.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Estonian anarchist see their greatest success to be the growth of the civil society even with issues that they may not necessarily agree with. But just as Estonian people are cynical about politicians anarchists are cynical about Estonians.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“For most Estonians the only right they care about is the right to offend other people. </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Why can't you tolerate my intolerance,” said Andres K</span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“The most important thing is, to let the public know that violent bald guys exist,” &nbsp;he said.</span>http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/08/mere-anarchy-published-postimees-july-4.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (A.TURAY)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-3975616023704949989Wed, 05 Jun 2013 21:18:00 +00002013-11-12T21:23:01.028+00:00<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Cut it Out</b></span><br /><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Published </span><a href="http://arvamus.postimees.ee/1250404/abdul-turay-lopetage-juba" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Postimees</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp; 28 May 2013</span></b><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What's up with the immigration people?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On lots of different levels and in lots of different ways the authorities; whether there are border guards, police, or civil servants drafting bills; appear to be getting things horribly wrong.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will tell three stories. They all have to do with immigration and are otherwise unconnected. They all have an underlying theme.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first story is my own story. I am aware that police officers and border guards do difficult and necessary jobs under challenging circumstances. I am also aware that the police and border guards have done good things in the past, BUT....guys could you please stop harassing me.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have been stopped three times in the last month, once in Old Town, once in Kristiine centre and most recently at the Port of Tallinn when I was coming back from Sweden.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the port, I was with my Estonian family. My niece who is six is scared of police. She thinks naughty the police will carry her off to prison. Then she saw a police man heading towards us. The little girl let go of my wife's hand and fled in the crowd.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The policeman just kept on coming, he was so focussed on stopping me, he didn't even notice that I was part of a family group, or that he had frightened away a little girl.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Can I see you passport please,” he asked.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Up ahead of I could see two gentlemen who appeared to be middle-Eastern origin, anyway they had darker skin than the typical Estonian. They had also been stopped by the police.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The second story is the big news in the ex-patriot community, though it is not as big news in the mainstream press.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ex-pats who run small businesses have just discovered they have to cough up more money to the tax man or leave the country.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Readers should understand that most ex-pats exist in a parallel universe which sometimes intersects with the “real” universe Estonians live in. They don't know what laws are passed, even when directly effected.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Alien Act passed last year requires a foreigner from a non-EU country to earn 1.24 more than the national average in order to maintain their residence permit. It's a direct result of the residence scandal, and the hysterical rush to stop those Russians.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The act has succeeded, as the saying goes, in throwing the baby out with the bath water (üle võõli keerama).</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes well intention laws are badly drafted. Lawyers and civil servants rush things. They work on a tight deadline. Those effected by the law feel this is what has happened here.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Louis Zezeran the Australian owner of Comedy Estonia is feeling the squeeze, basically all money he would have put into the company under the new laws he is forced to pay to himself and of course to the tax man, which means that his company may go out of business.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Both the government officials and my lawyer have confirmed that under the new rules my company has to pay significant more tax to allow me to keep living in Estonia,“ he said.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I am working with my lawyer now to put together the info.”</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I appreciate we need to stop those who want to make a scam, however what worries me is that the rules for my residency were changed after I was already here and I had already built a clearly legitimate business for two years. I believe this can be worrying to foreign business people who look to stability in a political environment when thinking of where to invest.”</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">“They could have allowed anyone who is currently here to stay on this old law, however it seems they specifically made a change to effect those already here,” Zezeran said.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For a man facing a choice between possible bankruptcy or exile from a country he has grown to love, Zezeran is remarkably sanguine.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">“I try to remember this is a political decision. Estonian people have treated myself and my business very warmly and I do appreciate that.”</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last story is about Namir. He is a refugee from Afghanistan who had to flee for his life after decades of war. He had a hard childhood, he lost both his parents and two sisters. He had to decide whether to risk the life and his loved ones in his home city or go to another country. There is also Matata for East Congo. He lost his parents and sister and brother and fled to a neighbouring country where he was locked up by armed men, beaten and tortured. Then there's Abdan who fled Libya when his brother was hanged for political reasons.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">You may have heard of these people before. You may have got a postcard explaining what a refugee is. There's even a website </span><span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a class="western" href="http://humanrights.ee/pagulane/">http://humanrights.ee/pagulane/</a></u></span></span><span style="color: black;"> explaining how the whole system works. But if you look closely you will notice something is missing.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is no mention of Estonia!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Namir, Matata and Abdan are real people though the names are fictitious, but they didn't come to Estonia. I have it on good authority from the Human Rights Centre that they were unable to find even one person who had been granted refugee status in Estonia whom they could use to illustrate their point. In other words of the 67 people granted status in Estonia since in the past 15 years, all, or almost all, have moved on, to Sweden probably.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I believe that most Asylum-seekers are not really refugees they are economic migrants, I worked in this field for a decade so I have some knowledge. But that's the point. If a person comes to Europe to make money, he goes to where the money is, as soon as he can.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Asylum-seekers will not stay, they are not a problem, they are not even an issue, So why all the scary pronouncements from the Academy of Security Sciences? Why all the public angst about a problem that doesn't exist? And most of all why the detention centres?</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Detention centres were deliberately set up in places like Germany and Britain as deterrents. They are horrible places, they are meant to be, detainees rioted. The hope was potential asylum seekers would hear of the detention centres and avoid these countries.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Here deterrents won't work. People don't know where Estonia is anyway. Putting asylum-seekers in detention centres or prisons, is not only inhuman it's pointless.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">The decision-makers don't always get it wrong. As I will explain in more detail in another article, the Estonian authorities had no choice but to turn down the Afghani interpretor who claimed asylum whilst still in Afghanistan. Under international law, you can not be a refugee, if you are still in your country of origin.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All this bring us to the theme raised at the beginning. The debate on immigration on both sides is governed by emotion and misinformation, rather that pragmatism and facts.</span><br /><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some people want to help this one man because he helped Estonia. He can't be helped.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Others want to stop refugees from swarming into the country. They won't swarm.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Still others want to make Russians pay. They are making legitimate small businesses pay.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Yet others want the police and border controls to be toughened up. They are already too tough.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">So it was that a policeman charged up to me at the port and demanded to see my passport. I showed him my Estonian ID, which states that I am a permanent Estonian resident, that surprised him.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">His superiors are not fools, they know somebody who is in Europe without permission, wants to leave Estonia for Sweden, not the other way round. But not everybody realises this.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I believe this whole incident was a phoney public relations exercise.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Somebody, somewhere, wants onlookers to think: “look, the police are protecting our borders.”</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unfortunately, what onlookers were probably thinking was: “look, police are harassing that journalist who works for Postimees,” or simply: “look, they are scaring the little girl.”</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: 0.37cm; margin-bottom: 0.08cm; margin-left: 0.04cm; margin-right: 0.12cm; text-indent: -0.04cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></div><div style="line-height: 0.37cm; margin-bottom: 0.08cm; margin-left: 0.04cm; margin-right: 0.12cm; text-indent: -0.04cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: 0.37cm; margin-bottom: 0.08cm; margin-right: 0.12cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: 0.37cm; margin-bottom: 0.08cm; margin-left: 0.04cm; margin-right: 0.12cm; text-indent: -0.04cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: 0.37cm; margin-bottom: 0.08cm; margin-left: 0.04cm; margin-right: 0.12cm; text-indent: -0.04cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: 0.37cm; margin-bottom: 0.08cm; margin-left: 0.04cm; margin-right: 0.12cm; text-indent: -0.04cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></div><br /><div style="line-height: 0.37cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div>http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/06/cut-it-out-by-abdul-turay-whats-up-with.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (A.TURAY)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-5067059575732879624Sun, 14 Apr 2013 22:43:00 +00002013-10-25T23:37:06.932+01:00<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Thatcher's Legacy to Britain, Estonia and the World</b></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Published <a href="http://arvamus.postimees.ee/1201140/abdul-turay-kuidas-suhtuda-thatcherisse/?fb_action_ids=10151417546868358&amp;fb_action_types=og.likes&amp;fb_source=other_multiline&amp;action_object_map=%7B%2210151417546868358%22%3A332421416880524%7D&amp;action_type_map=%7B%2210151417546868358%22%3A%22og.likes%22%7D&amp;action_ref_map=%5B%5D">Postimees</a> 13 April 2013&nbsp;</b></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For Estonia, Baroness Thatcher legacy is largely good. She was a tireless crusader against the Soviet Empire and against socialism which she always hated. Her robust foreign policy in Ireland, the Falkland Island and elsewhere led to the West standing up to and defeating communism. She could not have anticipated the collapse of the Soviet Union but that's what ended up happening. Margaret Thatcher's economic policies were the template, Mart Laar and others followed to transform the Estonian economy in the 90s.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Britain the reaction to the Baroness's death has been mixed, some mourned, others celebrated. To understand why, you have know what was going on in Britain before and what has happened subsequently.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will begin. Britain before Thatcher was a pretty depressing place. The country was going to hell, a child could notice it. My earliest memories are of sitting in pitch darkness during the blackouts caused by the miners strike of 72-74. The miners won those strike and brought down the governments.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Inflation was insane. I would save up pocket money to buy candy, go to the store, only to find I didn't have enough because prices had gone up.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was a political and current affairs programs called Weekend World. I would watch it every Sunday morning. It was scarier than a horror movie. Each time as the music started up my innards would knot up. Week after week, we kids were told Britain was sliding into the Third World. When we reached adulthood there would be no jobs, no leisure, and no future for England. “No future for you,” as the Sex Pistols sung. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, it did. In “The winter of discontent” of 1979 everybody decided to go on strike. People were dying because hospital workers were on strike. People weren't being buried because grave diggers were on strike. Rubbish strewed the streets in my home town because garbage collectors were on strike. Rats roamed freely. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then Margaret Thatcher came to power. She didn't change everything in an instance. But she did challenge the post-war consensus on how the country ought to be run.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In her first term, Margaret Thatcher priority was cutting inflation. Following the principles laid out by Milton Friedman, she cut the money supply. Sure enough inflation went down, but unemployment went up dramatically. She refused to compromise. Many people thought she was heartless, she cared more about proving an untried economic theory, than about the real concern that people just didn't have jobs. They have never forgiven her. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By 1983 Margaret Thatcher won a second term in office. Nowadays there is a lot of nonsense written about why she won that election. Let's make it clear. She did not win the election because of the Falklands War. Churchill won a World War and was still thrown out of office in 1945. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thatcher won the election and the conservatives continued to win every election for a generation because people never forgave the opposition Labour party for “The winter of discontent”. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She then privatise industries, allowed uncompetitive industries to go to the wall, much as was done in Estonia in the nineties and she smashed the all powerful unions. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She had stockpiled coal to take on the powerful National Union of Miners (NUM), led by an odious little communist, Savisaar-type, called Arthur Scargill. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The dispute wasn't about pay or conditions, it was about keeping the mines open at all. The mines employed over half a million people. Whole communities depended on the mines for their livelihoods and sense of identity. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The mines had been losing money for years and Margaret Thatcher was applying the iron logic of free market capitalism in closing them down. Her enemies argued her real goal was to break the NUM which had destroyed previous conservative governments, and the closures were unnecessary. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you had been growing up in a mining town in the 1980s you would certainly have hated this women&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">who was destroying your community in what seemed like a personal vendetta.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All of Britain's old industries, ship building, the car industry the steel industry are based in the North, Scotland, the Midlands and South Wales. All were privatised, some industries shrunk, others disappeared altogether. Today there isn't a single British-owned volume car maker.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is why people were then and remain now angry. All this to do a hellish job. Miners spend their lives in a dank, dirty, hole in the ground, they hardly ever seeing the sun. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As one mother said at the time: years ago women fought to keep their sons out of the pits, but in the miners' strike they were fighting to get them in.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Why?” she said.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I get it. People don't like change. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The situation was just like the movie “The Shawshanks Redemption.” A prisoner upon learning he was going to be released after 50 years in prison instead of being happy, attacks the messanger. He didn't like change either. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eventually, in many parts of the country Thatcher's message got through, people embraced change; the knowledge economy. It was hard at first. But people found or created jobs in IT, in finance, or in the service sector. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My town went from being a minor industrial town with two big employers, to a large town with boutique businesses in design, fashion, the media, entertainment and electronics industries.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Big cities like Glasgow, Sheffield, Cardiff switched from heavy industry to <span style="color: black;">finance, media tourism&nbsp;</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I.T and electronics. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It took years but even industrial townsfolk have grudgingly come to accept that she was right.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Baroness Thatcher didn't just give people the rhetoric to reinvent their lives, to create their own futures, she gave them the tools to do it, real financial tools. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Millions of people who lived in council owned house were encourage to buy their own homes, at a huge discount. As the prices went up those people became better-off. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Likewise people were encouraged to buy shares in previous state-owned companies. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Higher education, still free under her tenure, was vastly expanded. The sons and daughters of coal-miners went off to university became journalists and advertising executives. Some are still cursing Thatcher today, the ingrates.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not everyone adapted. So this is the crux of the matter, what people think of Thatcher largely depends on how well they are their families were able to adapt to modernity. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hostility towards Baroness Thatcher was such that she is blamed for things she didn't do. It is a total myth that Margaret Thatcher destroyed the welfare state. In Britain today the welfare state is still very apparent. Health and education provision is free for everyone. The social welfare system has become so widespread and so rampart that everybody knows someone who is abusing it.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Baroness also had ideological enemies. Now people say she was an icon for women and indeed she was.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But the Baroness hated modern feminism, she correctly saw it as a Marxist movement. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And feminist hated her. What everybody knew at the time and what people have conveniently forgotten is her success proved they were wrong, that patriarchy theory, the idea that men keep women down, was wrong. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She became leader of the Conservative Party and subsequently Prime Minister because her colleagues asked her to lead them, she did not seek the leadership. She had to be persuaded. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Therefore, if there are less women in positions of power is not because of male privilege, its because less women are motivated to do it. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I owe nothing to the women's movement,” she famously said. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Margaret Thatcher wasn't perfect. Towards the end she started to become the very thing she hated most, an authoritarian leader. She went from being staunching pro-European, to being staunching anti. She thought the whole project had been hijacked by socialists. She was also wrong about the re-unification of Germany.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ultimately David Cameron is right, Baroness Thatcher will be remembered as one of Britain's greatest peacetime leaders ever.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She was so fiercely proud of Britain's achievement and the rightness of nation and so against tyranny, it is interesting to speculate how thing would have played out for Estonia if she had been running Britain in a time of war. I believe had she been around in 1940s, she would not have tolerated a Soviet takeover of a country we had helped in the war of independence. Atlee and even Churchill did nothing. Thatcher would have done something. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She did great enough things in the time she did spend on Earth. She improved the quality of life for most people in the Britain. She took my rubbish and rat infested home town and turned it into a pleasant, green, and prosperous place. Personally I can honestly say that she gave me my present, and she gave us all a future, and not just in Britons, but Estonians and people of the World.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div>http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/04/thatchers-legacy-to-britain-estonia-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (A.TURAY)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-7049718099247878006Sat, 06 Apr 2013 18:13:00 +00002013-10-25T23:37:46.346+01:00<br /><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Conservative solution</b></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Published<a href="http://arvamus.postimees.ee/1181590/abdul-turay-konservatiivne-lahendus/"> Postimees</a> 31 March 2013&nbsp;</b></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I really struggled with this article. As a non-Estonian I have always felt I have no right to suggest things. I comment, I ask questions. But I am now a permanent resident, I have family ties here and I am paying my taxes so here it goes. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like many people I got a letter last week from a lobby group calling itself the "Foundation for the Family and the Defence of Traditions". As we all know these people oppose the draft proposal for neutral gender civil unions.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the past few years, the row over the issue has swallowed up the debate over every other type of minority right. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A student who wanted to interview me about minority rights, ended up spending the whole interview talking about gay rights. He really was not interested in anything else. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like most people from my background, I am a social conservative and economically social liberal. For example, I support the monarchy, I was a little uncomfortable with the idea of Prince William marrying a commoner.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Social conservatism doesn't mean that you have to support conservative parties,-left-wing intellectual Noam Chomsky calls himself a conservative. It does mean you endorse traditional values.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Therefore I am not talking to my fellow social conservatives as an outsider. As the title of this article says, I think there is an argument for conservatives to support same sex civil unions and even support same sex marriage, and to support these things for conservative reasons. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Left-wingers uniformly support same sex co-habitation and marriage,</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Conservatives are more nuanced.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the U.S., the Republican party is solidly against same sex marriage though most have accepted same-sex co-habitation rights. Opposition to same sex marriage has become almost a definition of a modern Republican.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the U.K., where same sex couples already have civil union rights, something which straight couples don't have by the way, it is the Conservative government that is pushing for full marriage rights for homosexuals. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This might seem odd, until you realise the Conservative party is a broad church of opinions.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Estonia, the issue brings out the difference between the IRL and Reform Party. The IRL is a Christian conservative party who oppose same sex partnership because of their Christian values.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Homosexual practices are condemned in both the Old Testament, the New Testament, and in Jewish and Muslim religious texts.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Reform party is a free-market liberal party who want to minimalism government intervention in people's lives, including government intervention into whom people are allowed to marry. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The issue of same sex marriage or cohabitation isn't really about whether homosexuality is right or wrong. I am not going to go into that here. It is about the nature and the purpose of marriage.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is no reason to oppose same sex co-habitation. A civil union is not the same thing as a marriage. A civil union simply protects the rights of two people who live together and are committed to each other. The real beneficiaries of the draft bill, if it becomes law, will not be same sex couples but opposite sex couples. Couples in Estonia aren't marrying. The current cynicism about marriage is putting people off settling down and having children because they don't know legal position of the children.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If civil union is introduced, co-habitators will take advantage of it. In France the vast majority of civil unions are straight couples. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what is marriage? Social conservatives would say marriage is a union between a man and a woman with the purpose of regularising the raising of children. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Left progressives would say marriage is a fundamental civil right. If two people love each other, are committed to each, they should be allowed to marriage. That the right to found a family is a basic is human right. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The left are wrong. Marriage is about more than romantic love.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What about two siblings, should they be allowed to marry if they love each other and are committed to each other why can't they marry? There is no reason why we can't categorised incestuous people as a social group in the same way will do homosexuals. There is scientific evidence when two people who are closely related meet for the first as adults, there is often physically attraction between them.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What about first cousins? In some countries first cousins can't marriage, in other countries like Bangladesh, it's done all the time to keep property within the family. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What about polygamy? Doesn't banning polygamy discriminate against people who come from cultures where polygamy is practice.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What about a step father who wants to marry his now adult step daughter? There is no law against that, people don't do it, unless they are Woody Allen, because it is considered immoral.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What about a women who is kidnapped and raped and then decides to marry the kidnapper, because she loves him and in any case they have children now? That used to happen all the time, it still happens in some places. There is no law against that. There is a law against the kidnap and rape, but there is no law against the marriage.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My point is, whom we are allowed to married isn't really a question of civil rights at all, it is a question of morality and the proper place to decide moral issues was, until recently, a church.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A conservative solution would be to do away will civil marriages all together and only have religious marriages.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Civil marriages have only been around for about 100 years out of 10,000 years or so of recorded human history and they are not working.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everything then becomes a question of which faith you belong too. There is nothing to stop a believing, gay, couple finding a church, or founding one, that is prepared to marry them. But churches shouldn't be forced to conducted marriages if it is against their creeds and doctrines. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a conservative solution which treats everybody equally and it will put religious denominations at the centre of Estonian public life, a place they have absent from for far too long. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div>http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-conservative-solution-by-abdul.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (A.TURAY)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-4038117687722671577Mon, 11 Mar 2013 00:07:00 +00002013-04-06T19:17:24.134+01:00<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Conservative Solutions</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The big issue in Estonia now is rights cohabitation rights for same-sex couple. An opinion pieces on this subject.<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/03/britainand-referenda-published.html">Britain and Referunda</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why Cameron will lose the next election and we will have a government more favourable to Europe and Estonia...<a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/03/britainand-referenda-published.html">&nbsp;</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/03/britainand-referenda-published.html">Read on&nbsp;</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-second-sex-by-abdul-turay-on-issue.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Second Sex</span></a><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">We are are told that we live in a male dominated society, that men have it easier than women; there are people who make a living by telling us this.</span><br /><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">I think that men have it tough and the situation is getting worse. I believe that feminism., or at least the radical form of it that has come to dominate, is wrong., and the effects of feminism that are causing great harm in my own country and in the rest of the Anglo-sphere are beginning to crop up here ..</span><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-second-sex-by-abdul-turay-on-issue.html">Read on</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/12/chartists-versus-theworld-published.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chartist versus the World</span></a><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">It was just perfect timing, I write a book discussing amongst other things, whether Estonian political culture is failing on not, and a month later, some of the country's leading minds, let's call them the chartists, get together and say categorical that failing it IS! ....</span><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/12/chartists-versus-theworld-published.html">Read on&nbsp;</a></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-black-president-for-small-white.html">A Black</a><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-black-president-for-small-white.html">&nbsp;President for a Small White Nation II</a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">An opinion piece. The title is self-explanatory.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">About the 2009 local elections in Estonia.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">Four years ago I outraged the nation when I suggested in my first Postimees article what&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">Michelle Obama the president's wife might be thinking if Estonia got into trouble.</span></span><br /><div class="western" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 14.999999046325684px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">“</span><span style="color: black; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">Ah yes Estonia that small-minded little white nation....to hell with them.”.......</span><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-black-president-for-small-white.html" style="line-height: normal;">Read on</a></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/11/anintellectual-casino-byabdul-turay.html">Intellectual Casino</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-GB">Tallinn is the global headquarters for a venerable institution, a giraffe, which for legal purposes we will call Giraffe Forex company. It is all part of the retail&nbsp;</span><span style="color: black;">forex market which in Estonia is controlled by Russian-speaking Estonian who started out in the 90s. They allied with Russian from the mother land in the early 2000s and set up shop here in Tallinn. Giraffe Forex</span><span lang="en-GB">&nbsp;has plush offices down town. It billboards can be seen in advertising hoarding in the city centre. With offices in over 27 country and growing, its ehhh..... tentacles are spreading out across the world.&nbsp;</span>Giraffe Forex remains an excellent way for suckers to lose all their money. Don't take my word for it.......<a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/11/anintellectual-casino-byabdul-turay.html">Read on</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-great-migration-by-abdul-turay.html">The Great Migration</a></span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">If you haven't spotted it already, the great Facebook migration means that Estonia has gone from being as leader to follower.</span><br /><div class="western" lang="en-GB" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 14.999999046325684px; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 14.999999046325684px;">Whereas five years ago Estonia was ahead of the curve now it is behind it. Instead of inventing stuff that others are using, Estonians are now using stuff invented elsewhere......</span><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-great-migration-by-abdul-turay.html" style="line-height: normal;">Read on&nbsp;</a></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/two-tribes-by-abdul-turay-published.html">Two Tribes</a>&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">The story of Estonians in Britain is an interesting narrative not only on how communities develop but a reflection on Estonia itself. Its shows us that some of the assumptions that we make about modern Estonia are wrong.....</span><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/two-tribes-by-abdul-turay-published.html">Read on&nbsp;</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More Articles</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/immigration-policy-by-abdul-turay-for.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Immigration Policy</span></a><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/06/meikar-andthe-poster-boy-by-abdulturay.html">On the Meikar Affair</a>&nbsp;A political scandal Involving money laundering</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a 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href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/10/view-from-london-by-abdul-turay.html">The view from London</a>&nbsp;On the Euro</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/08/white-riots-by-abdul-turay-published-23.html">White Riots</a>&nbsp;More on London Riots</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/08/city-under-siege-first-published.html">City under siege</a>&nbsp;London Riots</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/07/end-of-newspapers-by-abdul-turay.html">The end of Newspapers</a>&nbsp;</span><br /><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/06/china-rising-by-abdul-turay-here-is.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">China Rising</span></a><br /><div><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/03/why-world-is-silence-about-election-by.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why the world is silent about the Estonian election</span></a></div><div><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/02/playing-around-with-higher-education-by.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Playing around with higher education</span></a><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://poliitika.postimees.ee/?id=383331">Response from Education Minister (ed note: in Estonian, will translate into English when I have time)</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/12/parempoolne-on-oige-right-is-right-by.html">Right is Right ?</a></span><br /><div style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/10/why-i-write-in-estonia-by-abdul-turay.html">Why I write in Estonia</a></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/08/sotsid-arent-freaks-by-abdul-turay.html">Sotsid are not freaks</a></span>&nbsp;<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Why are the Social Democrats still failing?</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/07/room-101-by-abdul-turay-published.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Room 101</span></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span">A comparison between British kids and Estonian kids</span></span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/06/go-west-by-abdul-turay-published.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Go West</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span">Where is Estonia exactly?</span></i></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/06/featured-articles-due-to-newspaper.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Venture Capitalist Allan Martinson view</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;Follow up story</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/05/featured-articles-due-to-newspaper.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Musician Jaan Tätte view</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;Follow up story</span></span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/05/greatest-speech-of-all-time.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">The greatest speech of all time</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;A review of Unite Estonia a very successful political play held 8 May at Saku Suurhall.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/05/for-europes-sake-stop-tories-published.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">For Europe's sake: Stop the Tories</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;How the British elections will influence Estonia.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/03/tradition-of-libertarianism-by-abdul.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">The libertarian tradition</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;Why Estonian Health care is better than the USA</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/02/brave-new-estonia-by-abdul-turay.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Brave new Estonia</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;Estonian Independence day</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/01/cancel-debt-by-abdul-turay-published.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Cancel the debt</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;Haitian crisis</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/12/whos-in-charge-here-by-abdul-turay.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Who's in charge here</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;How the leader of the opposition in Estonia can bully the PM.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/11/abdul-turay-man-who-annoys-estonians.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">The man who annoys Estonians: Q and A with Priit Pullerits</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;Postimees did this in depth interview.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/11/black-men-estonian-women-truth.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Black men, Estonian women the truth</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/11/pyrrhic-victory-by-abdul-turay-tallinn.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Pyrrhic Victory</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/09/sexiest-man-in-estonia-return-of-silent.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">The Sexiest man in Estonia</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;Guess who?</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/09/playboy-cover-girl-and-estonian-foreign.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Playboy bunny and foreign policy</span></a></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/laar-dilemna.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Laar's Dilemma</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;About the former PM of Estonia.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/cult-of-youth.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Cult of Youth</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;Why Estonia is run by kids</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/laar-dilemna.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Quiet genius who brought East to the West</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;How the Koran came to be published in Estonia.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/bigotry-and-denial.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Bigotry and denial</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;Race relations in the Baltics in particular Lithuania</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/hard-landing-indeed.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">A hard landing indeed</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;About the economic crisis</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/let-eat-potato-peels.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Let's eat potato peels</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;and again</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/fighting-to-preserve-nations-heritage.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Fighting to preserve a Nation's heritage</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;Lithuania's Jewish community</span></span></div></div>http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/03/britain-and-referunda-cameron-will-lose.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (A.TURAY)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-1017929348717933243Mon, 11 Mar 2013 00:04:00 +00002013-10-25T23:38:12.146+01:00<br /><br /><br /><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><br /></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Britain and Referenda </b></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><b>Published<a href="http://arvamus.postimees.ee/1143934/abdul-turay-britid-ja-referendumid/"> Postimees</a> 20 February 2013</b></span></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><br /></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Normally I write only about Estonian issues, when I a write about my country there is something important needs covering. </span></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which bring me to the UK relationship with Europe. It effects us all so I hope you will bear with me.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">As readers will know, the British Prime Minister, David Cameron announced last month that if he wins the next election in 2015, he will renegotiate existing treaties with Europe and then hold a referendum on Britain's membership of the EU. </span></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There has been a ton analyse on TV and in the Estonian press about this. It could lead to a breakup of Europe. It isn't helping things, that's for sure.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">There isn't go to be any referendum. The referendum is contingent on the conservatives winning the next election. By caving into the ardent Eurosceptics in his own party, Cameron has just guaranteed that he, and his party, will lose. The reasons are complex and I will set them out here. </span></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Eurosceptics, also known as little Englanders, are a very old English character type. These people believe that there is a qualitative difference between England and the rest of Europe. </span></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">The little Englanders believe Europe has always been ruled by despots, petty dictators, socialist collectives and other such unsavoury types, whereas England, an island nation, has enjoyed human right, or “the rights of Englishmen” that have evolved over centuries through, from Magna Carta, Parliament, common law and the Monarch's coronation speech. </span></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">According to this view, the American colonies rebelled in 1776 and set up a new country to preserve these rights which America's founding fathers did indeed refer to as “the rights of Englishmen” which they said the then King, George III, was seeking to abuse. </span></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">This is why Eurosceptics are as unstintingly pro-American as they are anti-European. </span></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Little Englanders are a strange bunch. They are not overtly racist but they are xenophobic. They are cultural imperialists. Euroscepticism/Little Englander-mentality is the cousin of American exceptionalism, they both come from the same root source. </span></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">England is the “sceptred isle” and America is “the city on the hill.”</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And though American exceptionalists can push for an robust American foreign policy, they can, and have in the past, pushed for the same thing the Eurosceptics are pushing for now, isolation, “Splendid isolation”.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Little Englander mentality is the reason why Britain didn't join the EU, or the European Community when it was founded. </span></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is the reason why Britain didn't sign up to the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) for decades, despite being a founder member of the Council of Europe, which first placed the convention into effect in 1953.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">And it is the reason why Britain failed to come to the rescue of Estonia in 1944-5. Britain wartime leaders, Churchill and Anthony Eden, just could not conceive of a Britain taking political and military leadership of Europe, despite having won the war. Britain is an island apart, it was different from the rest of Europe. </span></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Keen readers will notice that I described the Eurosceptics as little Englanders not little Britons. This is the correct definition. </span></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This mindset doesn't apply to Scotland. In the middle ages the Scots were forever allied with the French against the English. It's called the Auld alliance (old alliance) and it is something that the Scots have never forgotten.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Scottish National Party (SNP), the party of independence, the separatist party, was a fringe party until they started to campaign for an independent Scotland within Europe. Scotland is similar to Estonia, as a nation it recognises that in order to prosper they need to trade within a wider union.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">So it is referendum on Scotland that actually matters and will decide future outcomes. </span></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The independence referendum will be held some time next year probably in the autumn. It has crept up on us stealthily. The SNP won the Scottish election by a landslide by convincing everybody that they were not really serious about independence.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now we can see that they are serious, deadly serious.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Before Cameron's speech, things were not going well for the SNP and other separatists. Polls have shown that support for independence has been stuck at under 30 percent for years. Moreover the SNP has deluded itself the young want independence more than the old do. They even wanted to lower the voting age to 16. </span></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">The separatists do not want to accept the painful truth, young Scots are more patriotically British than their elders. </span></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is people in their 30s or 40s who are driving the separatist agenda, Scots have long memories and haven't forgiven ugly stuff that went on in the 80s, that I won't go into here, and that dumb movie Braveheart. A movie that was shown in every screen in every cinema in Scotland.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Young voters don't remember this, though I am sure they have seen Braveheart on TV. They remember Blair and Brown, both of whom were Scots. Come to think of it, even Cameron is a Scottish name. </span></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But if the Scots do not want to be separated from the United Kingdom their also do not want to be separated from the European Union. With one deft move Cameron has handed the separatist a slogan which they can rally around. It's the same slogan as before, an independent Scotland within Europe. It might work.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Patriotic Brits like myself won't forgive Cameron if Scots vote for independence, ever. Patriotic Britons like myself, will be so angry at Cameron for breaking up our dear country that we would rather lock him in the tower, than vote for him, or his party. </span></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even people who don't care about the Union will not vote for Cameron. Defeat makes Cameron look like a loser and nobody likes a loser.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">But here is the thing, if the Scots vote no to independence which I believe and hope that they will, Cameron will still lose the next election. </span></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">The main Unionist party in Scotland is the labour Party, The labour party is far more popular than the conservatives in Scotland who have become an “English Party”. The labour party has traditionally been led by Scots and the labour movement begun in Scotland anyway. Under the former chancellor of the exchequer (Finance Minister) Alistair Darling it is labour not the government that are leading the campaign to save the United Kingdom. </span></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If Scotland vote no they can go into the next election saying to the people: “look! we delivered this victory”. Moreover they can roll out the referendum campaign nationwide.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">The British have long memories. We tend to change government roughly only once every generation. 1979, 1997, 2010. British people didn't forgive governments for economic disaster of the day. This time round it is different. There is a real possibility that the labour party could win. The last labour government do not do anything which was so outrageous that people are still bitter about it. </span></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">And we Brits are not Anti-European. The Little Englanders represent a vocal minority, that is all. British parties that fight elections on an anti-European message always, always, lose. The labour party wanted to pull Britain out of Europe in 1984. They lost by a landslide. The conservatives fought the 2001 election on the issue on Europe, they lost. When Cameron fights an election with a promise to renegotiate existing treaties and hold a referendum, with or without Scotland, he will lose. </span></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then we will have a government more friendly to Europe and by default, if not by design, more friendly to Estonia.&nbsp;</span></div>http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/03/britainand-referenda-published.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (A.TURAY)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-975641169997574756Tue, 22 Jan 2013 20:33:00 +00002013-10-25T23:43:38.872+01:00<br /><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The second sex</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Published <a href="http://arvamus.postimees.ee/1105684/abdul-turay-teine-sugupool/">Postimees </a>16 January 2013</b></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One issue scares the hell out of me. Men's rights.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are are told that we live in a male dominated society, that men have it easier than women; there are people who make a living by telling us this. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Estonia there are a dozen organisation dealing with women's rights there is even a gender studies unit (i.e. women's studies unit) at Tartu University, but there isn't yet far as I am aware, and I have checked, even one organisation dealing with men's right. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is inevitable that anybody who challenges this hegemony will come in for a barrage of criticism from an army of well-funded groups. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When men's rights are discussed, it is in the context of men's health. Men are dying off. Men die younger and are more likely to commit suicide than women.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even God it seems is against men. Last week January 10 2012, for example the ministry of internal affairs published figures that show, on average, young men were more likely to drown and older men were more likely to die in a fire, than women. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think that men have it tough and the situation is getting worse. I believe that feminism, or at least the radical form of it that has come to dominate, is wrong, and the effects of feminism that are causing great harm in my own country and in the rest of the Anglo-sphere are beginning to crop up here. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To explain feminism fully would require a book or several books, it's a big topic. Most people think they have an idea of what feminism, but actually it is harder than quantum mechanics. I will give it a stab. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Modern Feminism is a Marxist belief system. Feminism is built on the premise that society is patriarchy, that is, society was designed by men for the benefit of men. Feminism says women are oppressed and this oppression goes back to pre-history</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Feminism grew out of the writing of French philosopher Simone de Beauvoir. Instead of class exploitation, there is gender exploitation</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Feminists champion the idea that there or no mental or physical differences between men and women of any kind and that gender is not biological but a social construct. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When modern feminism emerged as movement in the latter half of the 20<sup>th</sup>Century, they retroactively re-branded the early 20<sup>th</sup>Century suffragette (votes for women) movement in the UK and USA as 1<sup>st</sup> wave Feminism and called their movement 2<sup>nd</sup>wave feminism. In this way they legitimised what was essentially a radical left-wing movement as being the heir of a liberal movement.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To be sure, there are feminists who don't call themselves Marxist, there are even feminists who call themselves conservatives, but the core of feminist ideology is Marxism. Feminist campaign against inequality, where does the inequality come from? The patriarchy. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once you understand this and with this country's experience of Marxism that should set alarm bells ringing. I haven't got space here to explain why I think patriarchy theory is wrong; suffice to quote what Margaret Thatcher famously said about modern feminism.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I owe nothing to the women's movement.”</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Examples of the patriarchy are the fact that as readers of this newspaper will know, women earn less than men, are under represented in Riigikogu and as head of big companies and domestic violence against women is an ongoing problem. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Feminists fights to correct these injustices. So far so good.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let me run that by you again. There is no evidence that shows that a woman doing the same job, working for the same company is earning less than a man. Men don't benefit from the men in power if anything women benefit, and domestic violence against men is as bad problem as against women. </span></div><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0.53cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Let's look at these points one by one. According to EU the gender gap is worse in Estonia than in any other country in the EU, 30 percent according figures published in 2010. But the explanation for this is the choices that people make, not discrimination. </span></span></div><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0.53cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">In the United States a leading feminism and campaigner for women's right called Warren Farrell asked himself the question:</span><span style="color: black;">“If you can pay a woman less than a man, why would anyone employ a man?” </span></span></div><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0.53cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He then did qualitative research, for a decade which showed that women are earning the same or even slightly more than men for doing the same job.</span></div><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0.53cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In his books, “Why men earn more” and “The myth of male power” Farrell demonstrated that what was actually going on is that men and women make different choices for the sake of their families.</span></div><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0.53cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Men will often chose difficult, dirty, dangerous,work to bring in money for their children. Women often chose lower paying public sector jobs that allow them to spend time with their children.</span></div><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0.53cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm sure that you know many talented women in government jobs, who are aware that they could make more money working in the private sector.</span></div><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0.53cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Ask them why they stay the answer is always the same. “It is good for women.” </span></span></div><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0.53cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Public sector jobs offer part-time working, flexi-working even extended maternity leave. Government or local government office in Estonia are overwhelmingly female. In some offices all the workers are female. </span></span></div><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0.53cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the United States and the United Kingdom the true situation is that women now earn more than men!</span></div><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0.53cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Women in their twenties are earning more than men as the Office of National Statistics reported last November (ONS) and as Time Magazine trumpeted in its October 2010 issue. </span></span></div><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0.53cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 0.48cm;">In some US. cities young women are earning 20 per cent more than men, the result of years of affirmative action programs that favour women in higher education.</span></div><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0.53cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Feminists say that it come down to gender stereotypes, women are somehow brainwashed into going into fields like teaching and nursing that pay less.</span></div><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0.53cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Can we believe women or men are really mindless zombies who make career choices based on what they have seen on television?</span></div><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0.53cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Also It just isn't true. Estonian women have always done back breaking work on the land. Soviet women were expected to do the same work as men. A female member of my Estonian family lifted the heavy stones of Viru Hotel whilst pregnant. </span></span></div><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0.53cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">If women are not working on construction sites now, it is because they don't want to. And why should they be expected to? Again a question of choice. </span></span></div><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0.53cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Men do this type of work because it feeds their family. But they suffer because of it. It was precisely these construction jobs that disappeared in the recession, and those men who didn't lose their job are still out working in all weathers, risking having bits of heavy equipment fall on them. Most injuries on the job are suffered by male. Yet again choice. </span></span></div><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0.53cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I an not saying that women are earning the same as men in Estonia. It just that I don't know. Nobody knows. Nobody has done the research, as Warren Farrell has done in the United States. All we have are bogus statistics that prove nothing and give the nation's enemies another stick to beat it with.</span></div><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0.53cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sections of the Russian media can and do write, not only is Estonia a fascist nation, it is sexist nation.</span></div><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0.53cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">As to men being at the top of society, well men are at the bottom of society too. After four years of hardship, I can't leave my house without being accosted by a destitute man. Occasionally a woman will approach, but 90 percent of the homeless beggars who approach me for money are men. I have sympathy for these people, they are people. It used to be the case that people in trouble had a substance abuse problem, now I notice they are unlucky men who have fallen on hard times. </span></span></div><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0.53cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">There are more men in Riigikogu, but they are not passing laws to benefit men. There is ample research that demonstrates men do not have own group preference the same way women do. </span></span></div><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0.53cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Men in power will enact laws that favour women. It was only in 2010 that the pension age for women was changed to match men and this change will only come about in 2016. </span></span></div><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0.53cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">That leaves domestic violence. Again things are not what they seems. After 50 years of research it is becoming clear men are as likely to be the victims of domestic violence as women are. </span></span></div><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0.53cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The woman who set up the first women's shelter in the World in the 1970s in England discovered about two thirds of the women were just as violent as the men they were running away from. She became a victim of a hate campaign against her by radical feminists that turned so violent and ugly that she was forced to flee England.</span></div><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0.53cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Here I have only touch what is huge issue. I haven't even discussed how Estonian men are treated in custody battles over children. It is this issue that is causing the most anguish for men in the Anglo sphere. The fact that men are deprived from seeing children. </span></span></div><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0.53cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">I am bracing myself for a series of angry rebuttal but to all my re-butters, I say, please keep in mind that I am not saying people shouldn't look after the interest of women, I am just saying we also need to look after the interest of men. </span></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0.53cm; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div align="LEFT" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0.53cm; padding: 0cm;"><br /></div>http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-second-sex-by-abdul-turay-on-issue.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (A.TURAY)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-8252805831736651643Thu, 20 Dec 2012 20:45:00 +00002013-11-12T21:23:27.824+00:00<br /><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Chartists versus the World</b></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Published<a href="http://arvamus.postimees.ee/1073636/abdul-turay-hartalaste-maailm/"> Postimees</a> 13 December 2012</b></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week December 13 2012 &nbsp;my book “A small white nation” comes out. In the book, I examine Estonia's place in the World. How and why Estonia has moved from being a country at the periphery to the very centre of the debate of how the world ought to be run. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is more story telling in the book than I normally write. I am quite sure I will enrage some people and shock others. One thing I described so shocked my editor that she refused to believe it was true.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Are you really sure it happened?” she kept asking me over and over again. I leave you to guess what it is but you have to read the book. <br /><br />But there is one thing that has been left out. I don't write about Charter 12. The simple reason is when I handed the manuscript in to my publishers it didn't exist yet. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was just perfect timing, I write a book discussing amongst other things, whether Estonian political culture is failing on not, and a month later, some of the country's leading minds, let's call them the chartists, get together and say categorical that failing it IS! </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Still the book is up to date. And at the risk of being a bit presumptuous it is up to date precisely because I'm not Estonian. Let me explain. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The chartists and their fellow travellers have been falling over themselves to describe how bad the situation is. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some have compared the situation to the 30s. Others have compared the situation to the Arab spring. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lecturer and writer Rein Raud said we were going back to communist times.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jaan Kaplinski compared it to 1994 when Laar's first government fell. Scholar and poet, Aare Pilv compared the situation to talking to a computer. You may get angry at the computer but the computer is not going to respond. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Expats see things differently. The international community do not think democracy is collapsing. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The proof of this is reports from the Bertelsman Foundation, the Economist Intelligent Unit and others. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a cartoon somewhere on the web, you can have fun looking for it, of a parrot holding a copy of the Charter 12 and squawking. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Democracy collapsing, government corruption, crisis, Polly wants a cracker.” </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The chartists may not be ridiculous, but they are being ridiculed.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In June when Meikargate first broke, I wrote that the scandal could actually show Estonia in a positive light because it shows the media holding politicians on all sides up for public scrutiny. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nobody paid any attention except for Mihhail Lotman who greeted with me warmly when I ran into him.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The chartists are urban cosmopolitan types so why do they see things so differently to rest the World? Why are they squawking like parrots? </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well to understand this we have understand what the charter actually is. Charter 12 is in the tradition of charters that date back all the way to Magna Carta in 1215 when England's barons restricts the power of the king. It was the first inkling of the concept of rule of law. In the early 19<sup>th</sup>Century there was the Chartist movement that tried unsuccessfully to win universal male suffrage. In modern times there was Charter 77 the dissent movement in Czechoslovakia, then Charter 88 in Britain that called for a modernisation of Britain's unwritten constitution. Charter 88 is no big deal but the other charters were really big moments in the histories of their countries.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Charter 12 uses far more strident language than 77 or 88. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Charter 77 talks about engaging: “in a constructive dialogue with political and state power.”</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Charter 12, lest we forget said that<span style="color: #222222;"></span><span style="color: #222222;">“neither the President of the Republic nor the government appear to want to change the situation.”</span></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Charter 77 said it did not want to lay down its own program of political of social reforms or changes. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Charter 12 does precisely that. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some say the strident language is proof that Estonian democracy is working. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vaclav Havel and the 77 gang were facing an authoritarian regime. They had to tone it down. They were still hunted like wild animals.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some say Charter 12 is nothing to do with civil society and everything to do with ambition and grandiosity. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lotman called Charter 12 a bid for power: <span style="color: #222222;">"Is the point of this whole undertaking really to pave the road to Parliament for one group of people? Is Parliament really bad because some of them found themselves locked out?" he asked.</span></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The grandiosity means far from opening up the debate the Chartists are closing it down. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Four years ago Barbi Pilvre could write.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">“The political and economic analytical premier league in Estonia is a famously narrow group of people. Open discussion is characterised by a settled hierarchy. We have a lot of well-known experts in their particular areas. Bystanders are not let in, not because they lack competence, but because we have this authoritarian discussion culture. If the hierarchy had a chance they would keep it that way as the media loves to protect experts.” </span></span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since then this settled hierarchy has been blown apart. Anybody can write about anything and get it published. </span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So along comes this charter. The chartists are reclaiming their position as overseer of the nation's political debating culture. </span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And this is most effective if framed in the strongest language possible. </span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's pretty ironic that the chartists, whom rail against a return to the Soviet times, have set themselves up as a vanguard of people. It's all very well....Leninist. </span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But for me, none of these theories work. </span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of the charter's signers are already in Riigikogu. And none of the charter's signer make a living by writing stuff in the newspaper.</span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am going to opt for a simpler explanation for the squawking. It reminds me of an old joke. </span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“The bullets in the Matrix are Estonian.”</span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I remember how I felt about Estonian politics back in 2010 when it finally dawned on me how moribund and decadence the Estonia’s political system had become and was going to remain. </span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I felt despair, I felt more than despair. I felt -the Germans have a word for it- “angst.” </span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was my political angst. I haven't felt that way for 20 years. I have always loved politics but for the longest time I didn't want to read about politics. It was too painful, which put me in a difficult situation because I write about politics. </span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I remember discussing this with other ex-pats and they recall feeling the same. Now just like Pilv says I am just like a robot. I have become numb to it all. </span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Estonians are patient but that patience isn't bottomless. </span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The emotions of the chartists, like Matrix bullets, have caught up to what I was feeling back then. Their anger, frustration and angst has reached breaking point. They can't take it anymore.</span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Any other nation would have been up in arms by 2009- 2010 already. </span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meikar or somebody else would have come forward back then already. And it would have fitted in with everything else that was happening back then. Democracy is going to hell and the economy is going to hell. </span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Charter 9, Charter 10 or even Charter 11 would make perfect sense. Charter 12 just seems like hyperbole.</span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But “A small white nation” was written some time ago. And because I am not Estonian I was feeling like a chartist already when I wrote it. So along with the joy, the love, the apprehension, and the humanity there is angst, real angst. </span></div><div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div>http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/12/chartists-versus-theworld-published.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (A.TURAY)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-2211871066935883458Wed, 21 Nov 2012 00:44:00 +00002012-12-10T11:06:08.774+00:00<br /><h2><br /></h2><h2><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/VaikeValgeRiikAbdulTuray">Book published 10.12.12</a></span></h2><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-black-president-for-small-white.html">A Black President for a Small White Nation II</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/11/anintellectual-casino-byabdul-turay.html">An Intellectual Casino</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-great-migration-by-abdul-turay.html">The Great Migration</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/two-tribes-by-abdul-turay-published.html">Two Tribes</a>&nbsp;About the Estonian British communities</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/immigration-policy-by-abdul-turay-for.html">Immigration Policy</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/06/meikar-andthe-poster-boy-by-abdulturay.html">On the Meikar Affair</a>&nbsp;A political scandal Involving money laundering</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/05/theinvisible-beautiful-estonian-film.html">The invisible beautiful Estonian film</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/04/austrian-factor-by-abdul-turay.html">The Austrian Factor</a>&nbsp;On Austrian economics</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/03/galojan-will-not-be-coming-home-soon.html">Galojan won't be coming home soon.</a></span><br /><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/12/veerpalu-new-linford-christie-by-abdul.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Veerpalu.</span></a><br /><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/11/survival-of-fittest-by-abdul-turay.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Survival of the fitness</span></a><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/10/view-from-london-by-abdul-turay.html">The view from London</a>&nbsp;On the Euro</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/08/white-riots-by-abdul-turay-published-23.html">White Riots</a>&nbsp;More on London Riots</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/08/city-under-siege-first-published.html">City under siege</a>&nbsp;London Riots</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/07/end-of-newspapers-by-abdul-turay.html">The end of Newspapers</a>&nbsp;</span><br /><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/06/china-rising-by-abdul-turay-here-is.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">China Rising</span></a><br /><div><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/03/why-world-is-silence-about-election-by.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why the world is silent about the Estonian election</span></a></div><div><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2011/02/playing-around-with-higher-education-by.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Playing around with higher education</span></a><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://poliitika.postimees.ee/?id=383331">Response from Education Minister (ed note: in Estonian, will translate into English when I have time)</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/12/parempoolne-on-oige-right-is-right-by.html">Right is Right ?</a></span><br /><div style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/10/why-i-write-in-estonia-by-abdul-turay.html">Why I write in Estonia</a></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/08/sotsid-arent-freaks-by-abdul-turay.html">Sotsid are not freaks</a></span>&nbsp;<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Why are the Social Democrats still failing?</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/07/room-101-by-abdul-turay-published.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Room 101</span></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span">A comparison between British kids and Estonian kids</span></span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/06/go-west-by-abdul-turay-published.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Go West</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span">Where is Estonia exactly?</span></i></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/06/featured-articles-due-to-newspaper.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Venture Capitalist Allan Martinson view</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;Follow up story</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/05/featured-articles-due-to-newspaper.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Musician Jaan Tätte view</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;Follow up story</span></span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/05/greatest-speech-of-all-time.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">The greatest speech of all time</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;A review of Unite Estonia a very successful political play held 8 May at Saku Suurhall.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/05/for-europes-sake-stop-tories-published.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">For Europe's sake: Stop the Tories</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;How the British elections will influence Estonia.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/03/tradition-of-libertarianism-by-abdul.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">The libertarian tradition</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;Why Estonian Health care is better than the USA</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/02/brave-new-estonia-by-abdul-turay.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Brave new Estonia</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;Estonian Independence day</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2010/01/cancel-debt-by-abdul-turay-published.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Cancel the debt</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;Haitian crisis</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/12/whos-in-charge-here-by-abdul-turay.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Who's in charge here</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;How the leader of the opposition in Estonia can bully the PM.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/11/abdul-turay-man-who-annoys-estonians.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">The man who annoys Estonians: Q and A with Priit Pullerits</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;Postimees did this in depth interview.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/11/black-men-estonian-women-truth.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Black men, Estonian women the truth</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />An opinion piece. The title is self-explanatory.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/11/pyrrhic-victory-by-abdul-turay-tallinn.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Pyrrhic Victory</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />About the 2009 local elections in Estonia.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/09/sexiest-man-in-estonia-return-of-silent.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">The Sexiest man in Estonia</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;Guess who?</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/09/playboy-cover-girl-and-estonian-foreign.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Playboy bunny and foreign policy</span></a></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/laar-dilemna.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Laar's Dilemma</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;About the former PM of Estonia.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/cult-of-youth.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Cult of Youth</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;Why Estonia is run by kids</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/laar-dilemna.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Quiet genius who brought East to the West</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;How the Koran came to be published in Estonia.</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/bigotry-and-denial.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Bigotry and denial</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;Race relations in the Baltics in particular Lithuania</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/hard-landing-indeed.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">A hard landing indeed</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;About the economic crisis</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/let-eat-potato-peels.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Let's eat potato peels</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;and again</span></span></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/fighting-to-preserve-nations-heritage.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Fighting to preserve a Nation's heritage</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">&nbsp;Lithuania's Jewish community</span></span></div></div>http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-black-president-for-small-white_20.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (A.TURAY)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489132860776669461.post-3333584792538359747Wed, 21 Nov 2012 00:40:00 +00002013-10-25T23:45:03.820+01:00<br /><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>A black president for a small white nation II</b></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Why Estonia and Obama need each other.&nbsp;</b></span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Published Postimees 14 December 2012&nbsp;</b></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Four years ago I outraged the nation when I suggested in my first Postimees article what <span style="color: black;">Michelle Obama the president's wife might be thinking if Estonia got into trouble. </span></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">“</span><span style="color: black;">Ah yes Estonia that small-minded little white nation....to hell with them.” </span></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">That article was about a fair dialogue between Estonia and black people. </span></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">I am not going to talk about that here, suffice to say progress has been made, and I have to admit after four years I believe far from being hostile, Obama will look kindly upon Estonia precisely because of his African heritage, here is why. </span></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">W</span>e have seen Obama appearing to conspire with Russia's leadership at a nuclear security summit in Seoul, South Korea, March 2012. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">“</span><span style="color: black;">I</span><span style="color: black;">t’s important for him to give me space,”&nbsp;</span>he said in a ´hot mike´ moment with outgoing President Medvedev. The him in question being Putin. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The foreign policy experts were worried here.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The leadership of America's traditional allies are worried, they don't trust Obama. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Israeli's feel he is siding with the Palestinians, the British feel he doesn't like us. He needs us but he doesn't like us. That is what he means when he said the relationship between Britain and America is an “essential relationship” rather than a “special relationship.”</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To understand how Obama thinks one should read what has written about himself. I have some insight on this because of my background, I believe what works against Britain and Israel, works for Estonia. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The theory doing the rounds in conservative circles is what is “wrong” with Obama is not that he is a socialist but that he is an “anti-colonialist,” what ever that means. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Anti-colonialism” is a rather misleading mash-up of two different concepts, anti-imperialism and post-colonialism.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Both terms can be applied to Obama. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anti-imperialism just means being against imperialism. You can be right-wing anti-imperialist. The libertarian right in America is anti-imperialist. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Post-colonialism is a left-wing academic theory. Post-colonialism is a theory that posits that the West, led by America, defines the rest of the world in a way that is unfair and inaccurate. This definition has been used as a justification for imperial adventurism most recently in Iraq. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The stepfather of post-colonialism is the late Palestine scholar Edward Said who in his book “Orientalism” argued the Orient doesn't really exist. The concept was invented by 19<sup><span style="font-size: small;">th</span></sup>and 20<sup><span style="font-size: small;">th</span></sup>Century Western writers, not as a conspiracy, but as part of an intellectual Foucaultian discourse, which divides the world into them and us.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Obama was at Colombia the same time as Edward Said. It is not clear if he ever took a course with him they certainly knew each other. It is not difficult to find pictures of them having dinner together.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moreover Maria Mälksoo, professor at Tartu University has written that the Orientalism has been going on here. In other words Eastern Europe does not exist, even the Baltics does not exist, these definitions were created by Western writers and don't reflect what the region actually is. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dinesh D'souza, conservative author and film-maker, who made the film “2016 Obama's America” explains what all this means.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“If you want to know why there is anti-Americanism round the world, it is anti-colonialism,” he said. On American television. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“He(Obama) subscribes to an ideology that sees America as the rogue nation in the world. The whole ship of the world has gone one side up and has gone one side up because one civilisation the West, America conquered the rest of the world and stole its stuff.”</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to D'Souza, Obama wants to make America weaker and poorer to address this injustice. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“The world is divided into the oppressors and the oppressed. You have to put a leash on the rouge element that is America.”</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Put simply from D'Souza point of view, Obama won't defend Estonia because to so would be an imperial act.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">D'Souza cites as evidence for his theory what Obama writes in his book “Dreams from my father”. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In this book, Obama writes that he couldn't have his father so he took his dream. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Obama's father fought against the British Empire. In the 50s America replaced Britain as the main imperial power. Therefore Obama wants America curtailed. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">D'Souza film was a huge success, but his ideas have been rubbished by the American media. I think he is on to something.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Obama's father was a British citizen from Kenya, Obama spend much of his youth in Asia, his background is similar to mine and for that matter D'Souza's. And yes, we were all are raised with the same narrative, which includes post-colonialism and anti-imperialism, even if we didn't call it that. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is where I have an insight. The t<span style="color: black;">eenage Obama of “Dreams from my father” reminds my of my nephew. </span></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Like Obama my nephew is</span>growing up with only one parent, like him he is very bright, opinionated, interested both in politics and culture. He defines himself by African-American pop culture despite or maybe because of the fact that he is mixed race. He also continually spouts anti-imperialist, post-colonial, anti-American rhetoric. My nephew has reminded me that post-colonialism is part of the DNA of discourse of all children of the Empire.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">D'Souza may be right in his assessment, but he is wrong in conclusions. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the last four years Obama has gotten to know a little about Estonia. He knows Prime Minister and the President. I can't see why Obama should be different to any other foreigner, the more he learns about Estonia the more he is going like it.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Intelligent people like Estonia because of the warm welcome from the people, the positively vibe and dynamism, the nature and architectural heritage. Obama has his own reasons; post-colonial reasons. </span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Estonia is post-colonial, it has never been an aggressor nation. Estonia has always been a victim of aggressor nations. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If we assume D'Souza is right, countries like Britain, France and Israel are always going to be bad and essential, countries like Estonia are always going to be good and non-essential. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But Obama's task is to stand up for the non-essential, or the “subalterns” to use the jargon of academia.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A comment from a student of my stuck me. “20 years ago it was illegal to be Estonian,” a young person told me. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If Obama ever heard something like that I have doubt whose side he would be on.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Obama vision is for America to be the champion of the oppressed and given the right information Obama can understand that this narrative can play out for small white nations as well.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Obama acceptance speech was very hopeful for Estonia He gave a strong indication that he will stand up to Putin, if he tries any funny stuff. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He began by saying: “Tonight more than 200 years after a former colony won the right to determine its own destiny, the task of perfecting this union moves forward.”</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In other words, America was once a colony itself, and it should stand up for other former colonies. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He continued: “A nation that is defended by the strongest military on Earth.”</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In other words, he is not planning to significantly reduce America's military commitments any time soon.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You may say that I am reading more into the speech than was there, but I don't think so. </span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a former speech myself writer, I know that these speeches are worked on months, in advance and carefully worded. The American president was talking to his “people” both in America and abroad and after fours years in office I believe Obama understands that “his people” may include a small white nation.</span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div>http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-black-president-for-small-white.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (A.TURAY)